Maternal complications of pyelonephritis in pregnancy include which of the following?

• A. Respiratory insufficiency
• B. Postpartum hemorrhage
• C. Gestational diabetes
• D. Deep vein thrombosis

Answer: (A)

Severe pyelonephritis during pregnancy can become a systemic illness that triggers sepsis and respiratory compromise. Inflammation and infection can lead to impaired gas exchange, pulmonary edema, and, in extreme cases, respiratory failure. That direct risk to the mother’s breathing makes respiratory insufficiency a recognized complication of pyelonephritis in pregnancy. Postpartum hemorrhage, gestational diabetes, and deep vein thrombosis are not direct sequelae of this infection—though pregnancy carries baseline risks for those conditions, they are not specific complications of pyelonephritis itself.