Abstract

Background and Aims: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) adds more challenges to the perioperative management of pregnant women. The aim of this study is to examine severity of COVID-19 disease and maternal and foetal outcome among COVID-19 positive pregnant women undergoing caesarean section. Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary teaching hospital in Karnataka between 1stApril to 31st July 2021, during which 100 COVID-19 positive pregnant women with ASA physical class II, III and IV who have undergone lower segment emergency caesarean section were selected on the basis of simple random sampling method. Results: A total of 100 women who had undergone caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia with positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests were assessed. Mean age was 24.45± 4.3 years, eight women were having severe covid-19 infection and overall mortality rate was 5% (5/100) in women and 1 woman had HELPP syndrome and one met with PPH (post-partum haemorrhage). Seven (7%) COVID-19 pregnant women required intensive care in the perioperative period. Eight neonates required NICU admission and had APGAR score less than 7. Fifty-five (55%) women were asymptomatic. While the rate of pneumonia in symptomatic women was 3.6% (8/45), the pneumonia incidence among all SARS-CoV-2 PCR (+) pregnant women was 8% (8/100). Conclusion: In our study, 61% of patients had pulmonary involvement and the mortality rate was 8% among mothers and 1% in neonates.