Review Note

Last Update: 03/07/2025 03:38 AM

Current Deck: ACG Part 2::Obstetrics

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Field Change Suggestions:
SS_OB 1.30 Evaluate the role of, options for and particular problems with providing general anaesthesia for elective and emergency caesarean birth
Role of GA
  • Urgency 
  • Inadequate or failed regional 
  • Regional contraindicated 
    • Maternal decline 
    • Coagulation 
    • Spinal abnormalities 
    • Sepsis 
    • Expected high blood loss with abnormal placentation or uterine rupture
  • Duration required as expected long surgical time (can consider CSE)

Problems : 
  • Increased risk of aspiration due to physiological changes of preganancy and gravid uterus -> RSI + antacid prophylaxis 
  • Difficult airway with increased prevalence of failed intubation 1 in 300 
    • FRC reduced 40%, increased O2 consumption 
  • Ventilation difficulties 
  • Fetal effects of GA medications and opioids - lower apgar at 1 and 5 mins common 
  • Increased awareness as per NAP
  • Need to blunt sympathetic response to laryngoscopy in PET/ severe cardiac disease 
  • L lateral position to prevent aortocaval compression 
  • Decreases uterine tone 
  • Consider post-operative analgesia eg TAP blocks, local infiltration, IV PCA 
  • Increased blood loss compared to regional by 100-200ml 
  • Risk of thromboembolism 

Anaesthetic techniques : 
  • Propofol + tiva 
    • Minimise tocolytic effect of volatile 
    • Assoc with poorer neonatal profile 
    • Shorter duration of amnesia 
  • Inhaled anaesthetic +N2O 
    • N2O used for  MAC sparing and reduce volatiles effect on smooth muscle tone 
    • Mac decreased by up to 40% for pregnant patients 
  • Opiods 
    • Not traditionally part of induction due to neonatal respiratory depression often given after cord clamping 
    • Alfentanil 10mcg/kg or reminfentanil 1-2mcg/kg can be given to obtund hypertensive response to intubation in severe cardiac or hypertensive disorders 


Awareness 
  • Increased incidence of awareness with thiopentone cf. propofol - may be due to similar appearance to antibiotics 
    • Rapidly increase end tidal volatile concentration 



Waikato obstetric guidelines 
NAP 5
Gold coast notes 
Oxford handbook 5th edition