OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP-APNEA DURING PREGNANCY RESULTING IN PULMONARY-HYPERTENSION

Obesity is known to increase maternal morbidity and mortality. We desc ribe a case of obstructive sleep apnea due to obesity and discuss our treatment of the resulting pulmonary hypertension. A patient was trans ferred to our hospital at 29 weeks' gestation with severe anasarca and more than a 100-pound weight gain during pregnancy, Pulmonary hyperte nsion due to obstructive sleep apnea was diagnosed. The patient was tr eated with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) during sle ep and remained in the hospital, the remainder of her pregnancy, She h ad a massive spontaneous diuresis during her hospital stay and lost mo re than 100 pounds. She was delivered at term via cesarean section bec ause of transverse Lie. Preoperative hemodynamic monitoring confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension. This represents the first cas e in the literature of obstructive sleep apnea leading to pulmonary hy pertension in pregnancy. This patient responded well to nasal CPAP as evident by the massive diuresis and good maternal outcome.