Acute pancreatitis in pregnancy: how was it determined whether it was caused by pregnancy or by COVID-19? A case report

Abstract

Background and importance: Acute pancreatitis is a pancreatic inflammatory condition that has the potential to cause serious morbidity. Acute pancreatitis is a relatively uncommon and potentially fatal pregnancy condition. Abdominal pain, pancreatic damage, or acute pancreatitis may all be related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Case presentation: On 12 August 2022, a 33-year-old black woman, gravida three, para two, a housewife, was taken to the obstetric care unit at 24 weeks of pregnancy with a 1-week history of lethargy, fever, and a dry cough. Reverse transcriptase-PCR testing on a sample of her nasopharyngeal swab revealed the presence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus. An abdominal computed tomography scan indicated an atrophic pancreas with broad fatty infiltration, little fluid and fat stranding around the pancreas, and reactive lymph nodes. She received 24-h-long insulin infusion therapy in addition to potassium chloride administered intravenously. She received crystalloid isotonic intravenous fluid to treat her severe pancreatitis and stop the progression of acute respiratory distress syndrome. Clinical discussion: Severe consequences of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection are more likely to affect pregnant women who already have diabetes as concomitant conditions. Acute pancreatitis caused by COVID-19 is uncommon and can occur after a mild infection or even after the viral infection has cleared up. Lipasemia typically manifests following the peak of systemic inflammatory activity that triggers the release of pancreatic enzymes like lipase. Conclusion: Symptoms of the digestive system, including anorexia, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and diarrhea, can be brought on by the COVID-19 infection. She had diarrhea as a clinical symptom, showing that the COVID-19 infection was the root cause of her acute pancreatitis. She had also refrained from vomiting, demonstrating that her acute pancreatitis was not related to pregnancy.