Remdesivir use in pregnancy during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

• Published in: The journal of maternal-fetal & neonatal medicine p. 1
• Main Authors: Gutierrez, Rigoberto, Mendez-Figueroa, Hector, Biebighauser, John G, Bhalwal, Asha, Pineles, Beth L, Chauhan, Suneet P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.01.2022
• Subjects: COVID-19; coronavirus; Remdesivir; pandemic; pregnancy
• ISSN: 1476-4954
• DOI: 10.1080/14767058.2022.2041595

To ascertain the composite maternal and neonatal outcomes in pregnant individuals with moderate, severe, or critical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treated with remdesivir. This is a secondary analysis of the COVID in Pregnancy Registry in Houston, Texas. Women were included if they met the criteria of moderate, severe or critical COVID-19 illness. Composite adverse maternal outcome was defined as any of the following outcomes: placental abruption, pregnancy-related hypertension, chorioamnionitis, stroke, delivery with estimated blood loss >1000 mL, diagnosis of pulmonary embolism or deep venous thromboembolism, or maternal death. Composite adverse neonatal outcome was defined as any of the following: Apgar score ≤3 at 5 min, arterial cord pH <7.0, positive SAR-CoV-2 test, intraventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, stillbirth, or neonatal death. Comparative analyses between participants receiving remdesivir versus those not exposed were performed. A total of 994 patients were diagnosed with COVID-19 infection. Of these, 95 (9.6%) met criteria for moderate, severe, or critical disease. Forty-one percent of these patients (  = 39) received remdesivir. Baseline demographic characteristics were not different between groups. No patients reported an allergic reaction with the administration of remdesivir; however, 16.7% of the patients had the medication discontinued due to transaminitis. Patients receiving the drug were more likely to have a longer illness duration on admission, more likely to require oxygen support on arrival and have a longer hospital stay. Remdesivir appears to be safe, well tolerated within our cohort with no cases of recorded adverse reaction.