J Korean Soc Emerg Med.  2007 Feb;18(1):80-83.

A Case that Pregnant Woman was Performed Emergency Cesarian Section During CPR

• Lee DH
• Kim GB
• Eo EK
• Cheon YJ

Abstract

Cardiac arrest during pregnancy is an uncommon event, occurring only about once in every 30,000 late pregnancies. Survival from such an event is exceptional. This case involves sudden cardiac arrest of a 32 weeks pregnant woman. The patient was found at unresponsive state and transferred to emergency center by EMS. At arrival, her EKG rhythm was asystole and we had no patient information. Upon initiation of ACLS, abdominal ultrasonography was done and we detected a fetal heart beat. Timely emergency caesarean section delivery was done and the 1-minute APGAR score of neonate is 0. After endotracheal intubation and respiratory assist, 3-minute APGAR score was recoverd to 3 and neonate was admitted to neonate ICU. The mother did not responsed to resuscitation efforts. Physiologic and anatomic changes occur during normal pregnancy, necessitating a modification of standard BLS and ACLS methods for successful resuscitation. When arrest does occur during the latter part of pregnancy, perimortem caesarean delivery may improve the outcome for both the fetus and the pregnant woman.

Keyword

Cardiac arrest; Pregnancy; Cesarean section

MeSH Terms

Apgar Score
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation*
Cesarean Section
Death, Sudden, Cardiac
Electrocardiography
Emergencies*
Female
Fetal Heart
Fetus
Heart Arrest
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Intubation, Intratracheal
Mothers
Pregnancy
Pregnant Women*
Resuscitation
Ultrasonography