Cardiac Arrest and Resuscitation in Pregnancy: A Case Report

Maternal mortality is a major public health issue globally. The exact incidence of maternal cardiac arrest (CA) is uncertain in developing countries like India as there is a paucity of reliable maternal registries. CA in pregnancy is rare and requires a multidisciplinary team well versed in the cascade of steps during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in managing such patients. Here we report a case of a 29-year-old primigravida at 29 weeks antenatal woman in cardiac arrest in which CPR with advanced care life support was initiated and resuscitative hysterotomy was performed within 4 minutes of no return of spontaneous circulation, which helped in the revival of the patient. It serves as an important basis for maternal health and the delivery of healthy neonates, as seen in our case. Because of this, it is crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of pregnancy physiology as well as basic and advanced cardiac life support techniques with a focus on CA in pregnancy. Frequent simulation learning and training on the treatment of CA in pregnancy should therefore be encouraged.