Approach to dyspnoea in pregnancy in the COVID-19 era
Banerjee, A.; Arrandale, L.A.; Sankaran, S.; Glover, G.W.; Nelson-Piercy, C.
Acute Medicine 19(4): 230-234
2020
ISSN/ISBN: 1747-4892 PMID: 33215176 Document Number: 18147
Dyspnoea and hypoxia in pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic may be due to causes other than SARS Co-V-2 infection which should not be ignored. Shared decision-making regarding early delivery is paramount. To highlight and discuss the differential diagnoses of dyspnoea and hypoxia in pregnant women and to discuss the risks versus benefit of delivery for maternal compromise. Case series of two pregnant women who presented with dyspnoea and hypoxia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two pregnant women presented with dyspnoea and hypoxia. The first case had COVID-19 infection in the 3rd trimester. The second case had an exacerbation of asthma without concurrent COVID-19. Only the first case required intubation and delivery. Both recovered and were discharged home. Conclusion and relevance: Our two cases highlight the importance of making the correct diagnosis and timely decision-making to consider if delivery for maternal compromise is warranted. Whilst COVID-19 is a current healthcare concern other differential diagnoses must still be considered when pregnant women present with dyspnoea and hypoxia.
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