Chapter 42
Emergencies of pregnancy
Aiman Saleh,
Joseph Grover,
Aiman Saleh
Search for more papers by this authorJoseph Grover
Search for more papers by this authorAiman Saleh,
Joseph Grover,
Aiman Saleh
Search for more papers by this authorJoseph Grover
Search for more papers by this authorBook Editor(s):David C. Cone MD,
Jane H. Brice MD, MPH,
Theodore R. Delbridge MD, MPH,
J. Brent Myers MD, MPH,
David C. Cone MD
Professor of Emergency Medicine
Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
Search for more papers by this authorJane H. Brice MD, MPH
Professor of Emergency Medicine
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Search for more papers by this authorTheodore R. Delbridge MD, MPH
Executive Director
Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems, Baltimore, Maryland
Search for more papers by this authorJ. Brent Myers MD, MPH
Chief Medical Officer ESO Associate Medical Director
Wake County EMS, Raleigh, North Carolina
Search for more papers by this authorFirst published: 18 August 2021
Summary
The most significant emergency of early pregnancy is ectopic pregnancy, which occurs in approximately 2% of all pregnancies. Emergencies occurring in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy include placenta previa, placental abruption, preeclampsia, and eclampsia. The EMS clinician must maintain a high index of suspicion as to whether an abnormal pregnancy is present. Fortunately, the prehospital management remains uniform for most of the life-threatening emergencies of pregnancy: control of hemorrhage and treatment of hemorrhagic shock, supportive care, and transport for obstetrical evaluation. The one outlier in management is the administration of magnesium sulfate for seizure control in eclampsia.
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