Attitudes and collateral psychological effects of COVID-19 in pregnant women in Colombia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess clinical impact, psychological effects, and knowledge of pregnant women during the COVID-19 outbreak in seven cities in Colombia. Currently, there are uncertainty and concerns about the maternal and fetal consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy. METHODS: A cross-sectional web survey was carried out including pregnant women in seven cities in Colombia. Women were evaluated during the mitigation phase of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic between April 13 and May 18, 2020. The questions evaluated demographic, knowledge, psychological symptoms, and attitudes data regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: A total of 1021 patients were invited to participate, obtaining 946 valid surveys for analysis. The rate of psychological consequences of the pandemic was much larger than the number of patients clinically affected by the virus, with 50.4% of the entire cohort reporting symptoms of anxiety, 49.1% insomnia, and 25% reporting depressive symptoms. Poorly informed women were more likely to be younger, affiliated to the subsidized regime, and with lower levels of education. CONCLUSION: The knowledge of pregnant women about SARS-CoV-2 infection is far from reality and this seems to be associated with an indirect effect on the concern and psychological stress of pregnant women in Colombia.

The impact of maternal anemia and labor on the obstetric Shock Index in women in a developing country.

BACKGROUND: The Shock Index is a clinical tool to evaluate the hemodynamic status during hemorrhage. The impact of labor and pre-existing anaemia is unknown. The objective was to describe and discuss its clinical utility in this context. METHODS: This was a prospective cross-sectional study. The Shock Index (ratio between heart rate and systolic blood pressure) was measured in pregnant women at term, before or during labor. They were stratified according to the presence of anemia. RESULTS: The median Shock Index was significantly lower in women in labor than in those not in labor (0.72 (IQR: 0.64-0.83) vs. 0.85 (IQR: 0.80-0.94); p < 0.001). In women in labor, the Shock Index was not significantly different if anemia was present (0.72 (0.63-0.83) vs. 0.73 (0.65-0.82); p = 0.67). CONCLUSIONS: Values of the Shock Index are affected by labor, which may hinder its utility in identifying hemorrhage during this period. However, the values were not altered by maternal anaemia. Therefore, an abnormal postpartum Shock Index should not be attributed to an abnormal antepartum Shock Index due to mild/moderate anemia.