Pregnancy

and

airway problems*

 

 

 

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Obstetrical anesthesia is considered to be a highrisk practice that exposes the anesthesiologist to increased medicolegal liability.
 

Failure to appropriately manage a difficult or failed intubation increases the risk of hypoxemic cardiopulmonary arrest and/or pulmonary aspiration, resulting in a high probability of maternal morbidity and mortality.

 

Anesthesia is the seventh leading cause of maternal mortality in the United States.
 

Anatomic and physiologic changes during pregnancy place the parturient at increased risk for airway management problems.


It is essential to perform a thorough preanesthetic evaluation and identify the factors predictive of difficult intubation.

 

Anatomic and physiological factors

affecting the obstetric airway:


upper airway edema


decreased functional residual capacity


breast enlargement


increased oxygen consumption


excessive weight gain

 

increased risk of aspiration


cephalad displacement of diaphragm


preeclampsia

 

 

 

 

*Airway problems in pregnancy
Munnur U; Boisblanc B; Suresh MS
Department of Anesthesiology and Division of Obstetric & Gynecology Anesthesia Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX;
and Departments of Medicine and Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA
Crit Care Med 2005 Vol. 33, No. 10 (Suppl.)

 

Obstetric failed intubation algorithm

Alex Mills - Specialist Trainee Department of Anaesthesia Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation trust - Devon UK