30something F admitted to ICU. She's pregnant and keeps on "coding" ?

[BeatsPerMinute, BSN, RN]

Curious thing - care to share thoughts? Would love to hear from the nurses who work with pregnant women! 

I work in ICU (approx 8 yrs critical care exp.) but I know NOTHING about pregnant ladies in these situations. 

The story: STAT team was called to respond to the women's unit multiple times for this one patient room. It was peculiar because she had no past history. She was just pregnant (best guess is that she was second or maybe late second trimester).

They thought it was a vagal thing that caused her to become unresponsive the first time. IDK what happened other than the staff nurses there didn't understand why this was happening. They did chest compressions on her for less than 2 mins. Patient woke back up & said she felt fine. Later that day after being transferred to our ICU, CXR was ordered. They changed her position in someway (was not there, just popped in when I heard the code call, and was told about what happened) - but anyway, she became unresponsive again during the CXR. 

Everyone was confused ... she appeared to be "maybe alright" ... and then I bumped myself in, sternal rubbed her ... and there was no response. Someone kept mentioning that she's 120s on tele. I asked if there was a pulse. No pulse was palpable. I said that it might be PEA, hopped onto the bed, and did chest compressions on her for less than 2 mins. She came back. She said she felt fine, just had some discomfort on the area where chest compressions had been done by me and others on the women's unit. 

All I can think to myself: what the heck just happened? Why is this otherwise healthy young 30-something female going in this direction? Thoughts?? 

[MunoRN, RN]

Pregnant women are at higher risk of PE and aortic dissection, both which often result in PEA arrest, although the dissection at least wouldn't be fixed with some compressions.

This is where an A-line would be helpful.

[BeatsPerMinute, BSN, RN]

Before I left the room they were inserting an Aline

17 minutes ago, MunoRN said:

Pregnant women are at higher risk of PE and aortic dissection, both which often result in PEA arrest, although the dissection at least wouldn't be fixed with some compressions.

This is where an A-line would be helpful.

Thank you for your response! I am starting to understand... & I def have some knowledge gaps ?