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. 2007 May;17(5):140-146.
doi: 10.1016/j.ogrm.2007.03.006. Epub 2007 May 7.

Respiratory disease in pregnancy

Sophia Stone, Catherine Nelson-Piercy

Respiratory disease in pregnancy

Sophia Stone et al. Obstet Gynaecol Reprod Med. 2007 May.

Abstract

Breathlessness in the absence of an underlying pathology is common in pregnancy. Asthma affects about 7% of women of childbearing age. Treatment is the same as for the non-pregnant population and most drugs are safe in pregnancy. Educating women to continue preventer inhaled corticosteroid therapy will reduce the risk of attacks. Respiratory infections are associated with a higher morbidity in pregnancy and should be treated aggressively. Most chronic pulmonary diseases do not alter fertility. Large reserves in respiratory function allow the fetus and mother to survive without compromise in most cases. The use of chest X-rays should not be avoided in pregnancy. Women with a chronic respiratory disease should receive pre-pregnancy counselling and education. Women should be managed in a multidisciplinary setting with the respiratory team. The presence of pulmonary hypertension and cor pulmonale is associated with a high risk of death in pregnancy.

Keywords: asthma; pneumonia; pregnancy; respiratory disease; tuberculosis.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Summary of stepwise management of asthma adapted from the British Thoracic Society Guidelines.
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