Clinical-epidemiological characteristics and maternal-foetal outcomes in pregnant women hospitalised with COVID-19 in Venezuela: a retrospective study

• Published in: BMC pregnancy and childbirth Vol. 22; no. 1; p. 905
• Main Authors: Carrión-Nessi, Fhabián S, Castro, Mercedes P, Freitas-De Nobrega, Diana C, Moncada-Ortega, Augusto, Omaña-Ávila, Óscar D, Mendoza-Millán, Daniela L, Marcano-Rojas, María V, Trejo, Nayren J, Virriel, Isabella V, Chavero, Melynar, Camejo-Ávila, Natasha A, Rodriguez-Morales, Alfonso J, Forero-Peña, David A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central 05.12.2022; BMC
• Subjects: Abortion; Adult; Anemia; Anemia - epidemiology; Apgar score; Clinical outcomes; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; Death & dying; Diabetes; Dyspnea; Epidemiology; Female; Humans; Hypertension; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced; Infant, Newborn; Infections; Intensive care; Malaria; Maternal mortality; Maternal-foetal outcome; Normal distribution; Obesity; Obstetrics; Oligohydramnios; Oxygen saturation; Pandemics; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - epidemiology; Pregnancy Outcome - epidemiology; Pregnant Women; Premature Birth - epidemiology; Retrospective Studies; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Statistical analysis; Steroids; Stillbirth - epidemiology; Venezuela; Venezuela - epidemiology; Ventilators; Womens health; Venezuela; Latin America; COVID-19; Pregnancy; Venezuela; Epidemiology; Maternal-foetal outcome
• ISSN: 1471-2393; 1471-2393
• DOI: 10.1186/s12884-022-05253-2

In low- and middle-income countries, pregnant women and newborns are more vulnerable to adverse outcomes from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, in Venezuela, there are no integrated data in a national surveillance system to identify the clinical-epidemiological characteristics and maternal-foetal outcomes of pregnant women hospitalised with COVID-19. A retrospective study was conducted among Venezuelan pregnant women hospitalised with COVID-19 seen at the "Ruiz y Páez" University Hospital Complex and the San Cristobal Central Hospital between June 2020 and September 2021. Information was obtained from physical and digitised clinical records using a purpose-designed proforma to collect epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical, treatment, obstetric and perinatal complications, and maternal-foetal outcomes data. A total of 80 pregnant women with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection were seen within the study period, 59 (73.8%) survived and 21 (26.2%) died. The median (interquartile range) age was 29 (23-33) years, the majority being in the third trimester of pregnancy (81.2%; n = 65). Interestingly, four (5%) pregnant women were co-infected with malaria by Plasmodium vivax and three (3.8%) with syphilis. The most frequent symptoms were fever (75%; n = 60), dry cough (68.8%; n = 55), dyspnoea (55%; n = 44), and headache (53.8%; n = 43). The most frequent maternal complications were anaemia (51.5%; n = 66) and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (17.5%; n = 14). The most frequent perinatal complications were preterm delivery (39.2%; n = 20/51) and oligohydramnios (31.3%; n = 25). A total of 29 (36.3%) adverse foetal outcomes were documented, 21 stillbirth and eight abortions. This is the first study to describe the clinical-epidemiological behaviour of COVID-19 in hospitalised Venezuelan pregnant women. Anaemia, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, oligohydramnios, and low birth weight were the most frequent maternal-foetal complications in this population of pregnant women.