title: Aims of obstetric critical care management.
abstract: The aims of critical care management are broad. Critical illness in pregnancy is especially pertinent as the patient is usually young and previously fit, and management decisions must also consider the fetus. Assessment must consider the normal physiological changes of pregnancy, which may complicate diagnosis of disease and scoring levels of severity. Pregnant women may present with any medical or surgical problem, as well as specific pathologies unique to pregnancy that may be life threatening, including pre-eclampsia and hypertension, thromboembolic disease and massive obstetric haemorrhage. There are also increasing numbers of pregnancies in those with high-risk medical conditions such as cardiac disease. As numbers are small and clinical trials in pregnancy are not practical, management in most cases relies on general intensive care principles extrapolated from the non-pregnant population. This chapter will outline the aims of management in an organ-system-based approach, focusing on important general principles of critical care management with considerations for the pregnant and puerperal patient.
authors.affiliation: Adult ICU, St George's Hospital, London, UK. lauracprice@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Laura Claire
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Slack
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nelson-Piercy
mesh_terms: D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000628:therapy*; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000628:therapy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000628:therapy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods*; D039401:Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000379:methods