We report the case of a 25-year-old woman in the second trimester of pregnancy with acute respiratory distress syndrome associated with miliary tuberculosis. Delivery of the baby by caesarean section at 24 weeks gestation resulted in an immediate and sustained improvement in respiratory function and maternal survival. We believe this to be the first report suggesting a role for caesarean section, performed with the aim of an improvement in maternal respiratory function, at such an early point in pregnancy.
BernardG.R., ArtigasA., BrighamK.L., CarletJ., FalkeK., HudsonL.The American-European Consensus Committee on ARDS. Definitions, mechanisms, relevant outcomes and clinical trial coordination.Am J Respir Crit Care Med1994; 149: 818–824.
2.
AgarwalR., GuptaD., AggarwalA.N., BeheraD., JindalS.K.Experience with ARDS caused by tuberculosis in a respiratory intensive care unit.Intensive Care Med2005; 31: 1284–1287.
QuinnA.C.Acute respiratory distress syndrome in pregnancy. In: RusselI.F., LyonsG., eds. Clinical problems in obstetric anaesthesia, 1st ed.London: Chapman and Hall1997. p. 273–285.
5.
CatanzariteV., WillmsD., WongD., LandersC., CousinsL., SchrimmerD.Acute respiratory distress syndrome in pregnancy and the puerperium: causes, courses and outcomes.Obstet Gynecol2001; 97: 760–764.
6.
CatanzariteV., WillmsD.Acute respiratory distress syndrome in pregnancy: report of three cases and review of the literature.Obstet Gynecol Surv1997; 52: 381–392.
7.
CollopN.A., SahnS.A.Critical illness in pregnancy.Chest1993; 103: 1548–1552.
8.
ColeD.E., TaylorT.L., McCulloughD.M., ShoffC.T., DerdakS.Acute respiratory distress syndrome in pregnancy.Crit Care Med2005; 33(10 Suppl): S269–S278.
9.
Ventilation with lower tidal volumes as compared with traditional tidal volumes for acute lung injur)’ and the acute respiratory distress syndrome. The Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Network.N Engl J Med2000; 342: 1301–1308.
10.
GattinoniL., TognoniG., PesentiA., TacconeP., MascheroniD., LabartaV.Effect of prone positioning on the survival of patients with acute respiratory failure.N Engl J Med2001; 345: 568–573.
11.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) Clinical Trials Network WheelerA.P., BernardG.R., ThompsonB.T., SchoenfeldD., WiedemannH.P.Pulmonary-artery versus central venous catheter to guide treatment of acute lung injury.N Engl J Med2006; 354: 2213–2224.
12.
DellingerR.P., ZimmermanJ.L., TaylorR.W., StraubeR.C., HauserD.L., CrinerG.J.Effects of inhaled nitric oxide in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome.Crit Care Med1998; 26: 15–23.
13.
LemonsJ.A., BauerC.R., OhW.Very low birth weight outcomes of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development neonatal research network, January 1995 through December 1996.Pediatrics2001; 107: E1.
14.
DailyW.H., KatzA.R., TonnesenA.Beneficial effect of delivery in a patient with adult respiratory distress syndrome.Anesthesiology1990; 72: 383–386.
15.
TomlinsonM.W., CaruthersT.J., WhittyJ.E., GonikB.Does delivery improve maternal condition in the respiratory-compromised gravida?Obstet Gynecol1998; 91: 108–111.
16.
de RooijG.M., GelissenH.P., WesterJ.P., SpijkstraJ.J., GoA.T., GirbesA.R.Severe respiratory distress due to the amniotic fluid embolism syndrome in a twin pregnancy.Neth J Med2003; 61: 337–340.
