Opinion – Front Line: The Christmas of Mary’s newborn

December, second year of the coronavirus pandemic. Maria was thirty-four weeks pregnant when she started a fever of almost forty degrees, runny nose, some cough and diffuse muscle pain. On the fourth day after the onset of symptoms, progressive respiratory distress appeared, after a few hours she was taken to the emergency room.

On admission, she was prostrate, in poor general condition, had bluish lips, and had severe respiratory distress. Drowsy, low blood pressure, elevated heart and respiratory rates, with use of accessory chest and neck muscles to inspire, oxygen saturation in seventy-four percent.

Maria needed a central line, drugs to raise her blood pressure, was intubated and taken immediately to the obstetric center. An emergency cesarean was required, her premature child, under the effect of sedatives circulating in the mother’s blood, also needed to be intubated in the delivery room. From then on, mother and child were taken to intensive care units – she to the adult ICU, he to the neonatal ICU.

The RT-PCR came out: it wasn’t Covid-19, it was Influenza A. Same diagnosis of thousands of people who sought care in various units across the city and across the country. Everyone we’ve assisted in Influenza epidemics has sad memories of pregnant women who died of the flu. The death of a pregnant woman is a tragedy not only for her family, the loss of two lives also leaves open wounds on the chest of the doctor and the entire care team, mine are wide open here.

Maria spent the first night in the ICU in an extremely serious situation, the doctor on duty reported a shock that was difficult to control, he said that she almost progressed to cardiac arrest due to depression of the cardiac muscle. Progressing to cardiac arrest is contradictory and painful, but that’s how we talk about events that happen.

Maria’s NB, that’s what we call the baby while there is still no record: her mother’s newborn, it was stable, and soon it was possible to remove the endotracheal tube before sunrise. The next morning he was in his incubator’s spirits, with adequate weight and size for his gestational age, with no major complications.

The third day was Christmas Eve. Physiotherapists gave good news about the decrease in the need for ventilatory support. It was also possible to withdraw the drugs that kept the blood pressure stable. Maria got better from all the dysfunctions.

When Maria was extubated, still somewhat confused, she placed her hand on her stomach and felt empty. Her expression of despair turned into a full smile when she heard from the nurse: your baby is fine!

Maria lives, and her newborn will have the best Christmas present in the world: a mommy.

We remember the wounds that still burn, but take stock and life is worth it.