title: Management of pregnancy-related emergencies: what do Polish anesthesiologists know?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Emergencies can occur at any time during pregnancy. In addition to obstetricians and midwives, anesthesiologists should also be familiar with pregnancy-related emergencies. The aim of this study was to assess the basic and advanced knowledge regarding the management of pregnancy-related emergencies of anesthesiologists.
  
  
  METHODS
  An anonymous questionnaire was distributed to anesthesiologists at two conferences (S1, n = 87; S2, n = 35), and to other groups comprising doctors during specialization (DS, n = 28) and postgraduate doctors (PD, n = 130). Ultimately, 280 doctors were included in the survey. The first part of the questionnaire collected demographics, and a second one evaluated both their basic and advanced knowledge by taxonomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Basic knowledge regarding the management of pregnancy-related emergencies of the tested group was poorer compared with advanced knowledge. The DS group had better basic management skills than anesthesiology specialists and the PD group. Significantly worse results of the tested group were obtained on the questions about maneuvers for choking pregnant women and time to cesarean section during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The specialists and the DS group had results on advanced level questions better than the PD group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Older specialists in anesthesiology did not know how to properly manage pregnancy-related emergencies at the basic level; however, anesthesiologists were familiar with advanced management. No relationship between recalling and using such knowledge in difficult situations was observed. The teaching process of acute obstetric emergencies must be improved through implementation of compulsory nationwide courses and verification of knowledge every few years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Teaching Anaesthesiology and Intensive Therapy, University of Medical Sciences in Poznan, Poznan, Poland. mgrzesko@ump.edu.pl
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grzeskowiak
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kuczkowski
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Drobnik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000628:therapy; D000773:Anesthesia, Obstetrical / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000193:education; D016887:Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation; D002585:Cesarean Section; D019468:Disease Management; D004461:Eclampsia / Q000628:therapy; D004619:Embolism, Amniotic Fluid / Q000628:therapy; D004630:Emergencies; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000379:methods; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000193:education / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000628:therapy; D011044:Poland; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000628:therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult