Bringing back life to a mother with postpartum cardiac arrest

(Dan Tri) - On the morning of October 22, Can Tho City Maternity Hospital informed that doctors here had just saved the life of a mother who had cardiac arrest after giving birth.

Previously, on October 14, pregnant woman LTMN (28 years old, living in Ninh Kieu, Can Tho City) was admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of 38 weeks and 4 days of pregnancy, fetal distress on the old surgical wound. The cesarean section took place at 2:45 p.m. the same day, a healthy baby boy was born.

However, just 15 minutes after the placenta was delivered, the mother N. suddenly had difficulty breathing, a drop in SpO2 (blood oxygen saturation), irregular electrocardiograms, and cardiac arrest.

Immediately, the internal and inter-hospital "red alert" order was activated. The Anesthesia and Resuscitation Team, the Imaging Diagnostic Team, and the coordination from Can Tho General Hospital created a synchronized emergency network.

Illustrative photo of medical team performing cesarean section on pregnant woman (Photo: Contributor).

Doctors performed CPR, administered drugs, placed a ventilator, and deployed highly invasive techniques.

The doctor also determined that the cause was grade 4 anaphylactic shock. Thanks to timely diagnosis and active treatment, the patient's heart started beating again after only 5 minutes of emergency treatment.

Dr. Tran Quoc Duy, Doctor of Anesthesia Surgery - Intensive Care - Anti-Poison Department, explained: "Grade 4 anaphylactic shock is a serious level, progressing very quickly, directly threatening the patient's life if not diagnosed and treated promptly. This is an extremely rare complication but always lurks in every surgery, especially in pregnant women without a clear history of allergies, making diagnosis more difficult.

The success of this emergency was not only due to modern resuscitation techniques but also the smooth professional coordination and the ability to make accurate decisions under high pressure of the entire team."

After only 6 hours of intensive resuscitation, the patient's condition gradually stabilized, he was taken off the ventilator and vasopressor and discharged from the hospital.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/gianh-lai-su-song-cho-san-phu-ngung-tim-sau-sinh-20251022095305220.htm