Anesthetic planning and management for a caesarian section in a pregnant woman affected by SARS-COV-2 pneumonía

Martínez Santos, L.; Olabarrieta Zarain, U.; García Trancho, A.; Serna de la Rosa, R. M.; Vallinas Hidalgo, I.; Maroño Boedo, M. J.; Martínez Ruiz, A.

Pregnant women experience physiological and immunological changes which make them more prone to all kind of viral and bacterial infections, this is because they have been considered as vulnerable group if infected by SARS-CoV-2. They could even deploy a severe form of this disease which may require to end pregnancy to improve oxygenation and to safeguard foetal wellbeing the in case the mother situation gets worse. In this scenario, any intervention would require a detailed planning by the whole surgical team, and, specifically, by the anaesthesiologists, in order to guarantee both mother and child wellbeing and to prevent from infections all the healthcare team. We describe the case of 37 week pregnant woman, admitted in our Critical Care Unit with respiratory high flows device support, due to severe respiratory failure due to COVID-19 which needed an urgent caesarean section.