Anesthesia Methods in Pregnant Women: A Review Study

Zahid Hussain Khan; Aseel Khalid Hameed

doi:10.18502/aacc.v7i4.7631

Zahid Hussain Khan Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Aseel Khalid Hameed Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/aacc.v7i4.7631

Keywords: Physiologic changes of pregnancy; Non-obstetric surgery during pregnancy; Teratogenicity; General anesthesia in pregnancy; Airway management; Laparoscopic surgery during pregnancy; Preterm delivery; Fetal asphyxia

Abstract

Background: Manage and deal with the pregnant patient undergoing anesthesia for surgical non-obstructed surgery, assess the effects of non-obstetric surgeries on both fetus and mother during pregnancy, and measures to prevent it.

Methods: A review search study was currently managed in PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Science gate, Elsevier, Scientific report, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews, after obtaining approval from the ethics committee of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All the reviews identified were restricted to human studies and available in English.

Results: Elective surgery ideally should be avoided during pregnancy while emergency surgery should proceed with consideration for the anesthetic implications of the altered physiology of pregnancy. Caution must be taken during anesthetic application and Airway management.

Conclusion: Pre-oxygenation is essential and consider the rapid-sequence induction accompanied with cricoid pressure to lower the incidence of aspiration. Lower MAC values of the volatile anesthetic should be used and medications titrated to preferably produce beneficial effects only.