Asthma During Pregnancy: How Obstetricians Regard Asthmatic Patients’ Treatment

Abstract

Background Asthma is the most common pulmonary disease encountered during pregnancy. In our daily practice, as a pulmonologist and an internal medicine specialist, we frequently encounter pregnant women with asthma; not all referred to us by an obstetrician. In our study, we aimed to evaluate obstetricians' approaches to treating pregnant women with asthma using a questionnaire. Methods We prepared a 12-question survey for the study and sent it via e-mail to obstetricians in our country. Participants were informed that participation was voluntary and they would remain anonymous. The survey was conducted via the Internet through e-mails. Results Of the doctors participating in the study, 26 (61.9%) were specialists and 16 (38.1%) were associate professors or professors. 23 (54.8%) of the obstetricians stated that they always consult their pregnant patient with a pulmonologist from the early days of pregnancy 10 (23.8%) consult on most occasions, 8 (19%) rarely, and 1 (2.4%) never feel the need for the consultation of a pulmonologist. Thirty-two (76.2%) of the doctors prefer vaginal delivery, 10 (23.8%) prefer cesarean section as the mode of delivery in asthmatic pregnants. 41 (97.6%) doctors prefer regional anesthesia and 1 (2.4%) prefer general anesthesia during cesarean section. Conclusion Both the obstetrician, pulmonologist or internist following the asthmatic pregnant should convince the patient that most of the drugs currently used in asthma treatment are "group B" drugs, which can be considered safe during pregnancy, and physicians take not only legal but also conscientious responsibility of their patients. Trial registration This study was registered by the scientific board of Fatih Sultan Mehmet Education and Research Hospital (FSM EAH-KAEK 2023/71).