The Misattributed and Silent Causes of Poor COVID-19 Outcomes Among Pregnant Women
Abundant evidence strongly suggests that the condition of pregnancy makes women and their fetuses highly vulnerable to severe Corona-virus 2019 (COVID-19) complications. Here, two novel hypoxia-related conditions are proposed to play a pivotal role in better understanding the relationship between CO...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2021.745797/full |
| _version_ | 1819113801027420160 |
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| author | Yossy Machluf Sherman Rosenfeld Izhar Ben Shlomo Yoram Chaiter Yaron Dekel Yaron Dekel |
| author_facet | Yossy Machluf Sherman Rosenfeld Izhar Ben Shlomo Yoram Chaiter Yaron Dekel Yaron Dekel |
| author_sort | Yossy Machluf |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abundant evidence strongly suggests that the condition of pregnancy makes women and their fetuses highly vulnerable to severe Corona-virus 2019 (COVID-19) complications. Here, two novel hypoxia-related conditions are proposed to play a pivotal role in better understanding the relationship between COVID-19, pregnancy and poor health outcomes. The first condition, “misattributed dyspnea (shortness of breath)” refers to respiratory symptoms common to both advanced pregnancy and COVID-19, which are mistakenly perceived as related to the former rather than to the latter; as a result, pregnant women with this condition receive no medical attention until the disease is in an advanced stage. The second condition, “silent hypoxia”, refers to abnormally low blood oxygen saturation levels in COVID-19 patients, which occur in the absence of typical respiratory distress symptoms, such as dyspnea, thereby also leading to delayed diagnosis and treatment. The delay in diagnosis and referral to treatment, due to either “misattributed dypsnea” or “silent hypoxia”, may lead to rapid deterioration and poor health outcome to both the mothers and their fetuses. This is particularly valid among women during advanced stages of pregnancy as the altered respiratory features make the consequences of the disease more challenging to cope with. Studies have demonstrated the importance of monitoring blood oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry as a reliable predictor of disease severity and outcome among COVID-19 patients. We propose the use of home pulse oximetry during pregnancy as a diagnostic measure that, together with proper medical guidance, may allow early diagnosis of hypoxia and better health outcomes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T04:35:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ca701ef466954bfb930ecac1407eb10b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-858X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T04:35:10Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-ca701ef466954bfb930ecac1407eb10b2022-12-21T18:38:54ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Medicine2296-858X2021-10-01810.3389/fmed.2021.745797745797The Misattributed and Silent Causes of Poor COVID-19 Outcomes Among Pregnant WomenYossy Machluf0Sherman Rosenfeld1Izhar Ben Shlomo2Yoram Chaiter3Yaron Dekel4Yaron Dekel5Unit of Agrigenomics, Shamir Research Institute, Haifa University, Kazerin, IsraelThe Department of Science Teaching, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, IsraelEmergency Medicine Program, Zefat Academic College, Safed, IsraelThe Israeli Center for Emerging Technologies in Hospitals and Hospital-Based Health Technology Assessment, Shamir (Assaf Harofeh) Medical Center, Zerifin, IsraelUnit of Agrigenomics, Shamir Research Institute, Haifa University, Kazerin, IsraelDepartment of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Zefat Academic College, Safed, IsraelAbundant evidence strongly suggests that the condition of pregnancy makes women and their fetuses highly vulnerable to severe Corona-virus 2019 (COVID-19) complications. Here, two novel hypoxia-related conditions are proposed to play a pivotal role in better understanding the relationship between COVID-19, pregnancy and poor health outcomes. The first condition, “misattributed dyspnea (shortness of breath)” refers to respiratory symptoms common to both advanced pregnancy and COVID-19, which are mistakenly perceived as related to the former rather than to the latter; as a result, pregnant women with this condition receive no medical attention until the disease is in an advanced stage. The second condition, “silent hypoxia”, refers to abnormally low blood oxygen saturation levels in COVID-19 patients, which occur in the absence of typical respiratory distress symptoms, such as dyspnea, thereby also leading to delayed diagnosis and treatment. The delay in diagnosis and referral to treatment, due to either “misattributed dypsnea” or “silent hypoxia”, may lead to rapid deterioration and poor health outcome to both the mothers and their fetuses. This is particularly valid among women during advanced stages of pregnancy as the altered respiratory features make the consequences of the disease more challenging to cope with. Studies have demonstrated the importance of monitoring blood oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry as a reliable predictor of disease severity and outcome among COVID-19 patients. We propose the use of home pulse oximetry during pregnancy as a diagnostic measure that, together with proper medical guidance, may allow early diagnosis of hypoxia and better health outcomes.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2021.745797/fullCOVID-19silent hypoxiapregnancydyspneapulse oximetrydiagnosis and treatment |
| spellingShingle | Yossy Machluf Sherman Rosenfeld Izhar Ben Shlomo Yoram Chaiter Yaron Dekel Yaron Dekel The Misattributed and Silent Causes of Poor COVID-19 Outcomes Among Pregnant Women Frontiers in Medicine COVID-19 silent hypoxia pregnancy dyspnea pulse oximetry diagnosis and treatment |
| title | The Misattributed and Silent Causes of Poor COVID-19 Outcomes Among Pregnant Women |
| title_full | The Misattributed and Silent Causes of Poor COVID-19 Outcomes Among Pregnant Women |
| title_fullStr | The Misattributed and Silent Causes of Poor COVID-19 Outcomes Among Pregnant Women |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Misattributed and Silent Causes of Poor COVID-19 Outcomes Among Pregnant Women |
| title_short | The Misattributed and Silent Causes of Poor COVID-19 Outcomes Among Pregnant Women |
| title_sort | misattributed and silent causes of poor covid 19 outcomes among pregnant women |
| topic | COVID-19 silent hypoxia pregnancy dyspnea pulse oximetry diagnosis and treatment |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2021.745797/full |
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