[Shock in pregnancy: foetal distress may be the first symptom]

Shock may be difficult to recognize in pregnant women due to the physiological changes that take place in the cardiovascular system. The first symptom of shock may be foetal distress. We present two patients to illustrate this condition. The first patient had an uncomplicated pregnancy until she awoke from a 'pop' in her abdomen followed by an acute feeling of illness. She was hemodynamically stable but because the foetal heart rate pattern was abnormal, an emergency caesarean section was performed. This revealed an intraperitoneal bleeding of the uterine artery in the right broad ligament, caused by ectopic decidualization. The second patient had severe symptomatic renal dilatation in pregnancy which was managed through percutaneous nephrostomy. Following the procedure she became hypotensive, tachycardic and hyperthermic, indications of septic shock. A neonate with signs of asphyxia was born by emergency caesarean section undertaken for acute foetal distress evident from the foetal heart rate pattern.