Coma in the pregnant patient.
Treating coma in the mother also means treating the fetus. Pregnant women are subject to causes of coma that may also arise from the effects of pregnancy on organ systems: vascular, cardiac, pulmonary, renal, endocrine, and others. With coma, no investigations are categorically excluded when the mother's health and life are at risk. Pregnancy and hormonal effects on blood volume, blood vessels, and changes in blood pressure explain some special causes of stroke in pregnancy. Others include intracranial hemorrhage and venous occlusive disease, as well as worsening of underlying vessel disease during pregnancy, delivery, and the postpartum period.
Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, 301 Building, 4940 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. pkaplan@jhmi.edu
Peter W
PW
Kaplan
D003128:Coma / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008429:Maternal Welfare; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000209:etiology