With the onset of autumn, the incidence of ARVI increases sharply. But if for most of the population this fact does not pose a particular threat, then for pregnant women it is a risk of complications.
Why ARVI is serious
Many women, being “in position”, do not attach much importance to viral infections, with the exception, perhaps, of the flu.
At the same time, many other representatives of the “world of viruses” also have an “aggressive character”, including respiratory syncytial (RS), adeno-, rhinitis, boca-, coronaviruses and parainfluenza.
Infection with one of them for a pregnant woman can end:
preeclampsia of varying severity – 87.3, recovered;
inflammation of the kidneys (pyelonephritis) – 10.4%;
anemia – 90%;
a decrease in the level of platelets – 75%;
And for the fetus:
the development of fetal-placental insufficiency – 62.9%;
oxygen starvation of the fetus (hypoxia) – 45.2%;
intrauterine growth retardation – 26.7%;
intrauterine infections – 27.4%.
The thing is that viruses “with pleasure” colonize the placenta, provoking in it inflammatory disorders and damage of varying severity.
At the same time, viruses, due to their size, easily “pass” through the placental barrier directly to the fetus. And either “with impunity” they multiply in his still immature organs, causing malformations. Or (in the later stages) provoke inflammation and developmental delay.
Who is at risk
The physiological decrease in immunity in pregnant women already in itself predisposes to a delay in the infectious process and complications.
However, pregnant women with:
overweight
diabetes mellitus,
cardiovascular diseases,
severe allergic reactions (bronchial asthma),
diseases of the thyroid gland
and autoimmune disorders.
An increased risk of complications accompanies women with chronic diseases of the oropharynx of a bacterial nature (tonsillitis, pharyngitis, and others). And also suffering from anemia.
Diagnostics
As you know, the treatment of bacterial and viral diseases is fundamentally different.
A general blood test with a leukocyte formula will help to resolve the issue with the choice of a group of drugs.
An increase in lymphocytes as a result is a marker of the viral origin of symptoms, while an increase in neutrophils is a sign of a bacterial process.
You can find out which virus is the cause of the disease with the help of a throat swab using the PCR method. True, the method is not designed to search for viruses in principle, but is used to exclude or confirm an already suspected pathogen.
So, for example, you can analyze for especially dangerous types of influenza https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza (swine, avian and others), or adenovirus.
And you can carry out a comprehensive diagnosis of several “seasonal” viruses at once (RS virus, adeno-, corona-, bocaviruses, parainfluenza pathogens). For example, in the analysis format “ARVI-screen”.
If suddenly a blood test indicates the bacterial nature of the inflammation, sowing a smear from the throat will help to identify the pathogen and determine its sensitivity to antibiotics.
