Successful perioperative use of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation in a pregnant woman with acute pulmonary edema

: A 32-year-old woman (148 cm, 59 kg, gravida 2, para 2) with quadruplet pregnancy was admitted to our hospital for the threatened preterm labor at 23 weeks and 2 days of gestation. She was treated with ritodrine, magnesium sulfate and nifedipine to maintain tocolysis. Betamethasone was administered to accelerate fetal lung maturity. After ritodrine dose was increased at 23 weeks and 5 days of gestation, she developed dyspnea with desaturation. Acute pulmonary edema was revealed on chest X-ray. The decision was made to proceed with emergency cesarean delivery. On arrival at the operating room, the blood pressure was 123/53 mmHg, heart rate 111 beats x min(-1), and oxygen saturation (SpO2) 84% with supplemental oxygen 15 l x min(-1) via a reserved face mask. Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) was initiated with S/T mode (FIO2 1.0, inspiratory positive airway pressure 10 cmH2O, expiratory positive airway pressure 6 cmH2O). The dyspnea was improved with her SpO2 100%. Spinal anesthesia was performed at L 34 using 2.5 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine and 100 microg morphine. Throughout the operation (operation time 44 minutes), she did not develop dyspnea under NPPV. NPPV was discontinued after the operation. Her SpO2 declined, and pulmonary edema on chest X-ray was exacerbated. She was transferred to the intensive care unit and NPPV was continued for 22 hours after the operation. She was discharged from the intensive care unit on the next day and was discharged from the hospital on the 6th postoperative day.