Abstract
This is the report of a series of eight patients with pulmonary hypertension (primary and secondary) who delivered at the McMaster University Medical Centre between 1978 and 1987. Seven of the eight patients delivered vaginally and had a successful outcome. The eighth patient was admitted as an emergency and died shortly after Caesarean section under general anaesthesia, performed to save the infant. The other seven patients were all managed by a team, including anaesthetists, cardiologists and obstetricians, from about 25 wk. The patients were hospitalized pre-partum and received oxygen therapy and anticoagulation with heparin. Analgesia in labour was managed, once anticoagulation was reversed, by low concentrations of epidural bupivacaine (0.125% – −0.375%) and fentanyl. The patients were monitored during labour and delivery with oximetry and arterial and central venous pressure lines. Pulmonary arterial lines were not used because of increased risk and questionable usefulness. Vaginal delivery was managed with vacuum extraction or forceps lift-out to minimize the stress of pushing. After delivery, all patients were monitored in an intensive care unit for several days, anticoagulation was restarted, and all patients were discharged home taking oral anticoagulant therapy. The successful management of pulmonary hypertension in pregnancy should include team management started early in pregnancy and controlled vaginal delivery utilizing epidural analgesia.
Résumé
Ce travail porte sur une série de huit patientes souffrant d’hypertension pulmonaire (primaire et secondaire) qui ont accouché au centre médical de l’université McMaster de 1978 à 1987. Sept des huit patientes ont donné naissance par voie vaginale avec succès. La huitième a été admise en urgence et est décédée peu de temps après une césarienne sous anesthésie générale réalisée dans le but de sauver le foetus. Les sept autres ont été suivies à partir de la 25 semaine par une équipe qui comprenait des anesthésistes, des cardiologues et des obstétriciens. Elles ont été hospitalisées avant l’accouchement et ont reçu de l’oxygénothérapie et de l’héparine. Pendant le travail, une fois l’anticoagulation renversée, l’analgésie a été produite par de la bupivacaine 0,125%–0,375% et du fentanyl. Pendant le travail et l’accouchement, les patientes ont été monitorées par oxymétrie, tension veineuse centrale et pression artérielle sanglante. On n’a pas installé de cathéter artériel pulmonaire à cause du risque accru de complications et de son utilité douteuse. L’extraction vaginale a été réalisé par application de ventouse ou de forceps pour diminuer le stress de la poussée abdominale. Après l’accouchement, toutes les patientes ont été monitorées à l’unité de soins intensifs pendant plusieurs jours et anticoagulées de nouveau. Elles ont reçu leur congé de l’hôpital avec anticoagulothérapie. La gestion de l’hypertension pulmonaire de la femme enceinte doit être multidisciplinaire et l’accouchement doit s’effectuer sous contrôle, avec une anesthésie épidurale.
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Smedstad, K.G., Cramb, R. & Morison, D.H. Pulmonary hypertension and pregnancy: a series of eight cases. Can J Anaesth 41, 502–512 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03011545
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03011545