Anaesthetic management of a pregnant patient in a persistent vegetative state.
Pregnancy in a patient in a persistent vegetative state presents challenging therapeutic questions about the level of supportive management required, the assessment of fetal well-being, the timing and mode of delivery and the anaesthetic management of labour and delivery. We report the case of a 29-yr-old woman who had a favourable fetal outcome despite suffering hypoxic brain damage after a suicide attempt by a drug overdose. She was managed until the onset of labour on an intensive care unit and had a spontaneous vaginal delivery assisted by epidural anaesthesia.
Ayorinde
B T
BT
University Department of Anaesthesia, University Hospitals of Leicester, UK.
Scudamore
I
I
Buggy
D J
DJ
D000328:Adult; D000650:Amnion / Q000601:surgery; D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural / Q000379:methods*; D000773:Anesthesia, Obstetrical / Q000379:methods*; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D002045:Bupivacaine; D003657:Decision Making; D062787:Drug Overdose; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002534:Hypoxia, Brain / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications; D007751:Labor, Induced; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018458:Persistent Vegetative State / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000628:therapy*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted
D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D010121:Oxytocin; D002045:Bupivacaine