ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the approach to caring for a patient with traumatic maternal cardiac arrest (MCA) and outlines the diagnostic approach for all reproductive-age people (generally defined as 12–51 years of age) with traumatic cardiac arrest, focusing on the care of pregnant and postpartum people. It reviews components of traumatic cardiac arrest algorithm for pregnancy, and describes the eFAST exam applied to reproductive-age females who experience traumatic cardiac arrest. The chapter summarizes the common obstetric morbidities associated with traumatic MCA, and explains the importance of incision type for a resuscitative cesarean delivery procedure in pregnant people who experience traumatic cardiac arrest. The increased maternal circulating blood volume in pregnancy may mask changes in maternal vital signs and delay the recognition of hypovolemic shock from internal (concealed) hemorrhage due to uterine rupture or placental abruption associated with trauma in pregnancy. These cases may rapidly result in cardiac arrest if not recognized and treated early.
