title: The Pregnant Patient: Assessment and Perioperative Management.
abstract: Pathologic changes can occur during pregnancy requiring diagnostic tests and procedures. A preoperative assessment and perioperative planning are essential. Normal physiologic changes include increased cardiac output and decreased functional residual capacity. Perioperative care should follow American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines. Anesthetic concerns include desaturation during periods of apnea, aspiration, difficult intubation, friable nasal tissue, decreased MAC, and hypotension and/or decreased uterine perfusion from the uterus. Anesthesia and medications must be individualized and given only as needed. Limit exposure to multiple drugs and monitor for fetal wellbeing and premature labor per consultation and guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8054, St Louis, MO 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: McKenzie
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8054, St Louis, MO 63110, USA. Electronic address: pulleyd@wustl.edu.
authors.forename: Debra Domino
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Pulley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D019990:Perioperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011258:Pregnancy Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment
keywords: Fetal effects of perioperative medications; Perioperative management; Pregnancy; Preoperative evaluation; Preoperative pregnancy testing