At 11 weeks pregnant by in vitro fertilization (IVF), Ms. P.K.O (25 years old, residing in Bac Ninh) was transferred to the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases in critical condition: continuous high fever, severe cough, increasing difficulty breathing.
Rapid disease progression
3 days before being hospitalized, Ms. O had a high fever of up to 39°C. Even though he took fever-reducing medicine, the temperature dropped for only 2-3 hours before the fever returned. Treated at a private medical facility but did not improve, the patient had to urgently be transferred to the Emergency Department, Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases.
When admitted to the hospital, she showed signs of progressive respiratory failure: rapid, shallow breathing, contraction of the adnexa respiratory muscles, SpO2 only reached 77-80% when breathing in the room (normal 96-100%). After receiving oxygen support through the nasal glass, SpO2 improved to 95-96% but the condition continued to worsen, forcing non-invasive breathing support.
The CT scan results showed widespread damage on both sides: thick, interspersed lenses, accounting for 50-60% of the lung area, with many small, thoracic nodules. phanological biology testing confirmed that the patient had active lung cancer.
Lung Lao in pregnancy is extremely dangerous
MSc. Dr. Ninh Thi Ngoc - Emergency Department - said: "Pneumonia in pregnant women can progress very quickly in just a few days. Fortunately, the patient was taken to the hospital in time, if delayed, the risk of affecting the lives of both mother and child was very high".
According to Dr. Ngoc, lung cancer in pregnant women, especially during IVF pregnancy, is extremely dangerous. The disease not only causes acute respiratory failure and the risk of permanent pulmonary fibrosis, but also forces the use of tuberculosis treatment drugs - some of which are highly toxic, if not adjusted properly, the regimen can affect the development of the fetus, especially in the early stages of pregnancy.
MSc. Dr. Tran Van Bac - Deputy Head of the Emergency Department - emphasized: TB screening before implementing IVF is very important. Let's say that leprosy can be transmitted from mother to child through the fetus or at birth, causing congenital tuberculosis - a serious condition with a high mortality rate. At the same time, lung cancer during pregnancy progresses rapidly and can easily cause complications that threaten the mother's life".
He said that tuberculosis can exist silently in an underlying form, without obvious symptoms. During pregnancy, especially during IVF, the immune system changes, making it easier for the disease to break out into labor.
