Title: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) necessitating therapeutic midtrimester abortion: a case report.

POPLINE Document Number: 076001

Author(s):

Sholapurkar SL
Vasishta K
Dhall GI
Jindal SK

Source citation:

ASIA-OCEANIA JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY, 1991 Dec;17(4):303-6.

Abstract:

A 35-year old multiparous woman was admitted at 19 weeks' gestation with rapid onset of dyspnoea which progressed to grade 3 in 2 months. She was diagnosed with a case of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). She had a vital capacity of 1.25 1, 46.5% of predicted and PaO2 of 60 mmHg at rest, which dropped to 35 mmHg on mild exercise testing. She did not respond to prednisolone 40 mg daily given orally for 1 month. In view of the lack of improvement, therapeutic abortion was carried out at 24 weeks by abdominal hysterotomy combined with a tubal ligation. subsequent to termination of pregnancy, her clinical status and pulmonary function improved markedly and she had only grade 1 dyspnoea 30 months later without corticosteroids. The effect of pregnancy on interstitial lung disorders, especially IPF, is not yet clear because of the extreme rarity of their association. Therapeutic abortion should be seriously considered in patients who cannot increase their own oxygen consumption 3 times normal without uncorrectable hypoxemia. (author's)

Keywords:

India
Pulmonary Effects
Respiratory Insufficiency
Abortion
Pregnancy, Second Trimester
Case Histories
Pregnancy Complications
Asia, Southern
Asia
Developing Countries
Physiology
Biology
Fertility Control, Postconception
Family Planning
Pregnancy
Reproduction
Data Collection
Research Methodology
Diseases