Obstetric Anesthesia Procedures

Pregnancy is a normal maternal physiological state that is developed to accommodate and nurture the fetus and enable the mother during labor. Pregnancy engenders multiple systemic changes – whether it be hormonal, mechanical, or circulatory. The gravid uterus and the increase in progesterone and estrogen levels, attributes to the multi systemic changes. The increase in peptide hormones alters connective tissue characteristics leading to structural changes to the kidneys, ureters, ribcage, diaphragm, and abdominal compartments. Cardiac output, pulmonary blood flow, and circulating blood volume are all increased in response to rising metabolic demands. There are additionally significant changes in many biochemical lab results in comparison to the non-pregnant women. Awareness of those changes will not only enable clinicians to navigate normal pregnancy but also to identify critical pathological values that assist in the further management”–