Cesarean delivery of twins during maternal cardiopulmonary arrest.

Abstract

In modern times, maternal death is rare. Timely cesarean delivery in the setting of maternal cardiopulmonary arrest may save both the infant and the mother. A 36-year-old white woman with a twin pregnancy suffered cardiopulmonary arrest at 28 weeks' gestation. Advanced cardiopulmonary resuscitative measures were unsuccessful, and the twins were delivered by cesarean at the bedside. Immediately after delivery, a maternal pulse was noted; both the mother and her infants are alive 15 months later. Relieving vena caval occlusion by perimortem cesarean delivery in a term gravida allows chest compressions to provide sufficient cardiac output in the unfortunate event of maternal cardiopulmonary arrest. When delivery occurs within 5 minutes of maternal insult, the neonatal outcome is favorable.