Obstetric anesthesia care and COVID-19

Abstract

Since December 2019, new cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology were detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China, later found to be caused by a corona virus that was named “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2” or SARS-CoV-2. The novel infection threatened the general population including pregnant women as well as health care workers caring for them. As the virus spread took an upward trajectory, it became clear that protection of healthcare workers as well as provision of high-quality standardized care for pregnant patients infected with COVID-19 are both of equal importance. In this manuscript, we present the latest recommendations and clinical guidance pertinent to the anesthetic care of the obstetric population including symptomatology and clinical presentation, fetal and neonatal outcomes, labor analgesia, anesthesia for cesarean delivery, and delivery under general anesthesia. The evidence in this manuscript is based on information from the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) Interim Consideration for Obstetric Care related to COVID-19, including recommendations from World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and on expert opinion in the field of obstetric anesthesia. © 2020, American University of Beirut. All rights reserved.