Management of cardiac arrest in pregnancy

Cardiac arrest in pregnancy is a rare event in routine obstetric practice, but is increasing in frequency. Resuscitation of cardiac arrest is more complex for pregnant women because of a number of factors unique to pregnancy: the altered physiologic state induced by pregnancy; the requirement to consider both maternal and fetal issues during resuscitation; and the consequent possibility of perimortem caesarean section during resuscitation. These extra considerations create a unique clinical emergency and decision pathway requiring the co-ordinated response of medical, obstetric, and neonatal teams. Although many research questions remain in this area, recent consensus has been reached on appropriate resuscitation of a pregnant woman. Centres offering care for birthing women need to be aware of the changing demographics and resuscitation guidelines in this important area, and implement measures to ensure dependable and optimal team responses to maternal cardiac arrest.