Critical illness in pregnancy: an overview.
OBJECTIVE
To provide an overview of the critical illnesses that afflict the pregnant patient.


METHODS
A comprehensive review of the literature was performed with Pubmed Medline using medical subject headings of pregnancy, critical care, epidemiology, prognostic score, dyspnea, fever, and jaundice.


RESULTS
Although pregnant women constitute a small number of admissions to an intensive care unit, they pose a challenge to the health care team. The physiological changes that occur in pregnancy stress and limit the compensatory response required to adapt to a superimposed acute illness. Although a number of conditions are uniquely associated with pregnancy, other medical conditions may complicate the course of pregnancy. The pregnant state also increases susceptibility to a number of illnesses. In this overview, we reviewed the epidemiology and different clinical presentations of critical illness in a pregnant patient.


CONCLUSIONS
The critically ill pregnant patient presents a challenge to the critical care physician due to unique physiology and specific medical disorders in this population.
Soubra
Said H
SH
Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Michael E. Debakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Guntupalli
Kalapalatha K
KK
D016638:Critical Illness / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors