8- Complicated pregnancy (Operative delivery and pain relief) Flashcards
Instrumental delivery refers to
a vagina delivery assisted by either a
- ventouse suction cup
- forceps
indications for instrumental delivery
- Failure to progress
- Fetal distress
- Maternal exhaustion
- Control of the head in various fetal positions
RF for requiring instruemntal delivery
- epidural for analgesia
- high fetal weight
- older mothers
- high BMI mothers
Having an instrumental delivery increases the risk to the mother of:
- Postpartum haemorrhage
- Episiotomy
- Perineal tears
- Injury to the anal sphincter
- Incontinence of the bladder or bowel
- Nerve injury (obturator or femoral nerve)
The key risks for baby when having an instrumental delivery
- Cephalohaematoma with ventouse
- Facial nerve palsy with forceps
Rarely there can be serious risks to the baby:
- Subgaleal haemorrhage (most dangerous)
- Intracranial haemorrhage
- Skull fracture
- Spinal cord injury
forceps safer for…..
ventouse safer for….
forceps safer for baby
ventouse safer for mother
ventous
The suction cup goes on the baby’s head, and the doctor or midwife applies careful traction to the cord to help pull the baby out of the vagina.
- The main complication for the baby is cephalohaematoma. This involves a collection of blood between the skull and the periosteum.
forceps
They come as two pieces of curved metal that attach together, go either side of the baby’s head and grip the head in a way that allows the doctor or midwife to apply careful traction and pull the head from the vagina.
Complications to baby
- bruises on babys face
- facial nerve palsy, with facial paralysis on one side.
- Rarely the baby can develop fat necrosis, leading to hardened lumps of fat on their cheeks.
forcep delivery complications to mother
Nerve Injuries
Rarely an instrumental delivery may result in nerve injury for the mother. This usually resolves over 6 – 8 weeks. The affected nerves may be:
- Femoral nerve- weakness of knee extension, loss of patella reflex and numbness of anteiror thigh and medial lower leg
- Obturator nerve- weakness of hip adduction and rotation and numbness of the medial thigh
caesareans can be
elective or emergency
Elective caesarean indication
- Previous caesarean
- Symptomatic after a previous significant perineal tear
- Placenta praevia
- Vasa praevia
- Breech presentation
- Multiple pregnancy
- Uncontrolled HIV infection
- Cervical cancer
elective caesarean performed under which sort of anaesthetic
a spinal anaesthetic
elective caesarean performed after ….. weeks gest
39
types of emergency caesarean categories
- Category 1: There is an immediate threat to the life of the mother or baby. Decision to delivery time is 30 minutes.
- Category 2: There is not an imminent threat to life, but caesarean is required urgently due to compromise of the mother or baby. Decision to delivery time is 75 minutes.
- Category 3: Delivery is required, but mother and baby are stable.
- Category 4: This is an elective caesarean, as described above.
which incisions are used for caesareans
Most common (transverse lower uterine segment incision)
- Pfannestiel incision (curved)
- Joel-cohen incisions (straight incision slightly higher) - **recommended
Less common
- Vertical incision- rarely used**
vertical incision may be used if
- very premature deliveries
- anterior placenta praevia
what sort of dissection is used in C-section
blunt dissection after initial incision with a scalpel. Involves using fingers, blunt instrumetns and traction to tear the tissues apart. Baby is then delivered by hand with assitance of pressur eon the fundus.
- less bleeding, shorter operating times and less risk to baby
The layers of the abdomen that need to be dissected during a caesarean are:
- Skin
- Subcutaneous tissue
- Fascia / rectus sheath (the aponeurosis of the transversus abdominis and external and internal oblique muscles)
- Rectus abdominis muscles (separated vertically)
- Peritoneum
- Vesicouterine peritoneum (and bladder) – the bladder is separated from the uterus with a bladder flap
- Uterus (perimetrium, myometrium and endometrium)
- Amniotic sac
closing the uterus
Uterus is closed inside the abdomen using two layers of sutures.
*
Exteriorisation (taking the uterus out of the abdomen) is avoided if possible. The abdomen and skin are then closed.*
anaesthetic for c-section
Most common: Spinal anaesthetic (involves injecting local anaesthetic into the CSF)
Less common: general anaesthetic
Risks associated with having an anaesthetic:
- Allergic reactions or anaphylaxis
- Hypotension
- Headache
- Urinary retention
- Nerve damage (spinal anaesthetic)
- Haematoma (spinal anaesthetic)
- Sore throat (general anaesthetic)
- Damage to the teeth or mouth (general anaesthetic)
measures to reduce risks during caesarean section
- H2 receptor antagonists (e.g. ranitidine) or proton pump inhibitors (e.g. omeprazole) before the procedure
- Prophylactic antibiotics during the procedure to reduce the risk of infection
- Oxytocin during the procedure to reduce the risk of postpartum haemorrhage
- Venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis with low molecular weight heparin
why are H2 receptor antagonists or proton pump inhibitors given before c-section
reduce risk of aspiration pneumonitis during caesarean section, caused by acid reflux and aspiration during the prolonged period lying flat.