Posteclampsia Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA): A Rare Etiology

Abstract

Eclampsia is associated with high maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. The mortality in eclampsia is reported to be secondary to cerebrovascular accidents, neurogenic pulmonary edema, or acute kidney injury leading to cardiac arrest. A rarely reported etiology is sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) immediately after the seizure activity. We report a case of morbidly obese multigravida, complicated into postnatal eclampsia developing postseizure SCA due to apnea. Case. A 35-year-old woman in 38 weeks of gestation presented to the women's hospital emergency with hypertension and proteinuria and had lower section caesarean section under epidural anesthesia and required labetalol infusion. She developed convulsions in the 1st postoperative day, and she was started on magnesium sulphate therapy. After a few minutes, the patient had a 2nd episode of convulsions, apnea, cyanosis, and cardiac asystole requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation and spontaneous circulation returned in 3 minutes. Her endotracheal intubation was difficult, but we succeeded in the 2nd attempt. She was sedated, ventilated, and required noradrenaline to maintain hemodynamics. Her ECG, echocardiogram, cardiac biomarkers, CT chest/brain, and serum magnesium levels were within normal range. The patient was weaned from vasopressor and ventilator by day 2 and extubated. She became awake; labetalol and magnesium sulphate infusions were stopped by day 3. The patient was transferred to the ward on day 5; from there she was discharged home on day 8 on oral labetalol. She was followed up in an outpatient clinic after 4 weeks and remained comfortable, and blood pressure was controlled with tablet labetalol and repeat echocardiogram was normal. Conclusion. Eclampsia patients can have apnea after seizures, progressing to SCA.