Managing pregnant patients in the ED can be stressful – especially because you have (at least) two patients to think about! Emergency physicians are generally comfortable managing first trimester emergencies but are less familiar with complications in the later stages of pregnancy. It is these complications that contribute in part to the maternal health crisis in the US. In this episode, we delve into the realm of obstetric emergencies in the ED with Dr. Jenna White, an EM physician with a special interest in OB. She introduces us to resources developed by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) to help ED providers identify common pathologies and navigate high-stakes scenarios, including screening for cardiovascular disorders, managing hypertension, and tackling the dreaded eclampsia.

How does your ED manage OB emergencies? Have you implemented the ACOG algorithms? Share your experience with us on social media @empulsepodcast or at ucdavisem.com

Hosts:

Dr. Sarah Medeiros, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at UC Davis

Dr. Julia Magaña, Associate Professor of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at UC Davis

Guests:

Dr. Jenna White, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of New Mexico and chair of an Obstetrics Working Group jointly convened by ACOG and the CDC

Resources:

Identifying and Managing Obstetric Emergencies in Nonobstetric Settings, ACOG resources for Emergency providers.  

Pregnancy-Related Deaths: Data From Maternal Mortality Review Committees in 36 U.S. States, 2017–2019

Wolf LA, Delao AM, Evanovich Zavotsky K, Baker KM. Triage Decisions Involving Pregnancy-Capable Patients: Educational Deficits and Emergency Nurses’ Perceptions of Risk. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2021 Jan 1;52(1):21-29. doi: 10.3928/00220124-20201215-07. PMID: 33373003.

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Thank you to the UC Davis Department of Emergency Medicine for supporting this podcast and to Orlando Magaña at OM Productions for audio production services.