Trauma in Pregnancy

Trauma in pregnancy: A narrative review of the current literature

INTRODUCTION

Trauma accounts for nearly half of all deaths of pregnant women. Pregnant women have distinct physiologic and anatomic characteristics which complicate their management following major trauma.

OBJECTIVE

This paper comprises a narrative review of the most recent literature informing the management of pregnant trauma patients.

DISCUSSION

The incidence of trauma during pregnancy is 6-8%. The focus of clinical assessment must be on the mother, starting with the primary survey. During airway management, clinicians should consider early intubation if necessary and utilize gastric tubes to minimize the risk of aspiration. Pregnant women experience progesterone-mediated hyperventilation, and normal PaCO2 levels may portend imminent respiratory failure. Clinicians should utilize left lateral tilt in hypotensive pregnant women to displace the uterus off the inferior vena cava. Ultrasonography is an attractive imaging modality for pregnant women which is specific for ruling in intraabdominal hemorrhage but not sufficiently sensitive to exclude this diagnosis. Clinicians should not hesitate to order computed tomography imaging in unstable patients if there is diagnostic ambiguity. Cardiotocographic monitoring simultaneously assesses uterine contractions and fetal heart rate and should last at least 4 h for pregnant women following even minor abdominal trauma if their fetus has achieved viable gestational age (approximately 24 weeks). In the event of cardiac arrest, peri-mortem cesarean section may improve outcomes for the mother and fetus alike. Unique specific complications include uterine rupture and placental abruption, which require emergent resuscitation and obstetrics consultation for definitive management. Emergency clinicians should maintain a low threshold for transfer to a tertiary care center given correlations between even isolated and relatively minor traumatic injuries with adverse fetal and maternal outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Trauma is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in pregnant women. Emergency clinicians must understand the evaluation and management of pregnant trauma patients.

Trauma in Pregnancy

One of the most common causes of obstetric morbidity and mortality is trauma in pregnancy. Several maternal physiological changes during pregnancy have a significant impact on the mechanism, presentation, and management of trauma in this population. It is crucial for health providers dealing with trauma to know and understand these differences between pregnant and nonpregnant patients. The obstetric trauma patient requires a multidisciplinary approach, including obstetrics, maternal fetal medicine, anesthesiology, surgery, and intensive care teams. The aim of this article is to review the most updated information on trauma during pregnancy.

Stair-Related Injuries Among Pregnant Women Treated in United States Emergency Departments

OBJECTIVES

Falls are one of the leading causes of trauma during pregnancy, and most falls occur on stairs. The purpose of this study was to describe stair-related falls among pregnant women who were treated in United States emergency departments during a 10-year period.

METHODS

This study utilized a cross-sectional analysis of National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) data, 2008-2017. Emergency department visits by pregnant women aged 12 years and older were identified using case narratives.

RESULTS

From 2008 to 2017, 1466 cases of pregnant women who had sustained stair-related falls were reported to NEISS, equating to a national estimate of 57,512 over the 10-year study period. Variables examined included age, body part injured, location of injury, discharge disposition, gestation, mechanism of injury, and other fall-associated hazards and symptoms. Most injuries involved contusions or abrasions, other injuries commonly reported were sprains/strains and contusions/abrasions. Wet/icy conditions represented hazards associated with 4.1% of all injuries. Severe obstetric symptoms, such as decreased fetal movement and vaginal bleeding, were described in study narratives.

CONCLUSIONS

Falls are a leading cause of injury among women of childbearing age and stair-related falls comprise a large proportion of maternal falls. Physiological changes associated with pregnancy can put gravid women at greater risk for falls. Healthcare providers can provide women anticipatory guidance that may reduce their risk for falls as they progress in pregnancy.

Perimortem cesarean section for maternal and fetal salvage: concise review and protocol

Cardiopulmonary arrest is a rare event during pregnancy and labor. Perimortem cesarean section has been resorted to as a rare event since ancient times; however, greater awareness regarding this procedure within the medical community has only emerged in the past few decades. Current recommendations for maternal resuscitation include performance of the procedure after five minutes of unsuccessful cardiopulmonary resuscitation. If accomplished in a timely manner, perimortem cesarean section can result in fetal salvage and is also critical for maternal resuscitation. Nevertheless, deficits in knowledge about this procedure are common. We have reviewed publications on perimortem cesarean section and present the most recent evidence on this topic, as well as recommending our "easy-to-access protocol" adapted for resuscitation following maternal collapse.