Artificial ventilatory management in a severe, pregnant asthmatic--a case report

A 33-year-old pregnant atopic woman, who had never suffered from asthma or atopic-related disorder, was admitted on three occasions during her fifth pregnancy with severe asthma. On her last admission she required more intensive monitoring and artificial ventilation. We report this patient and discuss the pathogenesis of asthma during pregnancy. Asthma in pregnancy is not uncommon and it may take a severe course in some pregnancies. In one prospective study 42% of the patients required aggressive management, but none required artificial ventilation. However, there was no difference in the outcome of pregnancies between asthmatic and control subjects. Here we describe a patient with severe asthma who required artificial ventilation with a successful outcome.