title: Gastric pressure during emergency caesarean section under general anaesthesia.
abstract: Gastric pressure and volume were measured in 20 pregnant women during emergency Caesarean section under general anaesthesia with neuromuscular block. Mean gastric pressure was 11 (range 4-19) mm Hg and we can predict that 99% of women undergoing emergency Caesarean section with neuromuscular block are likely to have gastric pressures of less than 25 mm Hg (mean + 3 SD). This has implications for the amount of cricoid pressure required during induction of anaesthesia. Gastric pressure increased during delivery to 19 mm Hg and fundal pressure caused a gastric pressure of 65 mm Hg in one woman. Gastric pressure decreased significantly after delivery (P < 0.001) to 8 mm Hg. Although we measured large gastric volumes (mean 112 (range 20-350) ml), there was no correlation between gastric volume and gastric pressure.
authors.affiliation: Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, Gloucester, UK.
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Hartsilver
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Vanner
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bewley
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Clayton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D000773:Anesthesia, Obstetrical; D002585:Cesarean Section; D003413:Cricoid Cartilage; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011312:Pressure; D013270:Stomach / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*