Acute pain episodes, acute chest syndrome, and pulmonary thromboembolism in pregnancy

Pregnancy in women with sickle cell disease (SCD) is a life-threatening condition. In both high- and low-income countries, there is an 11-fold increased risk of maternal death and a 4-fold increased risk of perinatal death. We highlight the epidemiology of SCD-specific and obstetric complications commonly seen during pregnancy in SCD and propose definitions for acute pain and acute chest syndrome (ACS) episodes during pregnancy. We conducted a systematic review of the recent obstetric and hematology literature using full research articles published within the last 5 years that reported outcomes in pregnant women with SCD. The prevalence of acute pain episodes during pregnancy ranged between 4% and 75%. The prevalence of ACS episodes during pregnancy ranged between 4% and 13%. The estimated prevalence of pulmonary thromboembolism in women with SCD during pregnancy is approximately 0.5 to 1%. ACS is the most common cause of death and is often preceded by acute pain episodes. The most crucial time to develop these complications in pregnancy is during the third trimester and postpartum period. In a pooled analysis from studies in low- and middle-income settings, maternal death in women with SCD is approximately 2393 and 4300 deaths per 100 000 live births with and without multidisciplinary care, respectively. In comparison, in the US and northern Europe, the general maternal mortality rate is approximately 23.8 and 8 deaths per 100 000 live births, respectively. A multidisciplinary SCD obstetrics care approach reduces maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries.