Complications in pregnancy Flashcards
Pregnancy related conditions (14)
- Asthma
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Eating disorders
- Epilepsy
- Hypertension
- HIV
- Obesity
- Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
- Uterine fibroids
- GI symptoms
- Musculoskeletal problems
- Vascular symptoms
- GU symptoms
Pregnancy complications
- Anaemia
- APH
- Depression
- Ectopic pregnancy
- Foetal problems
- Gestational diabetes
- Hypertension
- Hyperemesis gravidarum
- Miscarriage
- Placenta previa
- Placental abruption
- Pre-eclampsia
- Eclampsia
- Preterm labour
Infections during pregnancy
- Bacterial vaginosis (BV)
- Cytomegalovirus
- Group B Strep (GBS)
- Hepatitis B virus (HBV)
- Influenza (flu)
- Listeriosis
- Parovirus B19
- Sexually transmitted infection (STI)
- Toxoplasmosis
- Urinary tract infection (UTI)
- Yeast infection
- Rubella (German measles)
- Measles
- Varicella (chicken pox)
- Herpes simplex
- Malaria
- Group A streptococcus
Uterine STIMULANTS (5)
- Endothelin
- Prostin
- Misoprostol
- Oxytocin
- Ergometrine
Uterine RELAXANTS: (7)
- Nitirc oxide
- Relaxin
- Atosiban
- Nifedipine
- Indomethacin
- Terbutaline
- Magnesium
What are the signs of magnesium toxicity? (3)
- Loss of tendon reflexes (due to neuromuscular blockade)
- Respiratory depression
- Cardiac arrest
Uterine STIMULANTS: Endothelin
Constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure.
Uterine STIMULANTS: Prostin
Used in labor induction, bleeding after delivery, termination of pregnancy, and in newborn babies to keep the ductus arteriosus open.
Uterine STIMULANTS: Misoprostol
A medication used to prevent and treat stomach ulcers, start labor, cause an abortion, and treat postpartum bleeding due to poor contraction of the uterus.
Uterine STIMULANTS: Oxytocin
Plays a role in social bonding, sexual reproduction, childbirth, and the period after childbirth.
Uterine STIMULANTS: Ergometrine
A medication used to cause contractions of the uterus to treat heavy vaginal bleeding after childbirth.
Uterine RELAXANTS: Nitric oxide
Most important function is vasodilation, meaning it relaxes the inner muscles of the blood vessels, causing them to widen and increase circulation.
Uterine RELAXANTS: Relaxin
A hormone secreted by the placenta that causes the cervix to dilate and prepares the uterus for the action of oxytocin during labour.
Uterine RELAXANTS: Atosiban
An inhibitor of the hormones oxytocin and vasopressin. It is used as an intravenous medication as a labour repressant to halt premature labor.
Uterine RELAXANTS: Nifedipine
Is a medication used to manage angina, high blood pressure, Raynaud’s phenomenon, and premature labor. It is one of the treatments of choice for Prinzmetal angina. It may be used to treat severe high blood pressure in pregnancy.
Uterine RELAXANTS: Indomethacin
A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug commonly used as a prescription medication to reduce fever, pain, stiffness, and swelling from inflammation. It works by inhibiting the production of prostaglandins, endogenous signaling molecules known to cause these symptoms.
Uterine RELAXANTS: Terbutaline
A β2 adrenergic receptor agonist, used as a “reliever” inhaler in the management of asthma symptoms and as a tocolytic (anti-contraction medication) to delay preterm labor for up to 48 hours.
Uterine RELAXANTS: Magnesium
A nutrient that the body needs to stay healthy. Magnesium is important for many processes in the body, including regulating muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure and making protein, bone, and DNA.
Normal haematological values in pregnancy
- Maternal plasma volume increases by around 50%.
- Red cell mass only increases by 25-30%.
- This results in a fall in Hb concentration.
- ‘Physiological anaemia of pregnancy’
- Many coagulation factors are increased in normal pregnancy.
- Pregnancy = hypercoagulable state.
- Some anticoagulant factors are reduced.
- This contributes to the risk of thrombotic complications in pregnancy.
Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (3)
- Pre-existing hypertension: pre-pregnancy/early pregnancy
- Pregnancy induced hypertension: hypertension > 20 weeks, without proteinuria
- Pre-eclampsia: hypertension > 20 weeks, with proteinuria
Small for Gestational Age (SGA)
A foetus that is born with a birth weight of less than the 10th centile.
Fetal Growth Restriction (FGR)
Failure of the foetus to reach it’s pre-determined growth potential due to pathology.
SGA vs. FGR
What are the differences between FGR and being born SGA?
FGR describes a reduction of the fetal growth rate but is not defined by the subsequent birth weight, whereas birth weight is used to define SGA. FGR babies may not be SGA and vice versa.
Types of FGR:
- Symmetrical
- Asymmetrical
- Symmetrical: Head and abdomen are equally small.
- Asymmetrical: Foetus responds to inadequate nutrition by redirecting blood flow to head/brain and heart - therefore abdominal fat stores are reduced.
Risk factors for FGR:
- Minor (7)
- Major (10)
- Minor:
- Maternal age >35
- IVF pregnancy
- Nulliparity
- BMI (<20 or 25-34.9)
- Smoker (1-10 PD)
- Previous PET
- Pregnancy interval <6m or >60m
Major:
- Maternal age >40
- Smoker (>11 PD)
- Paternal or maternal SGA
- Cocaine use
- Previous SGA or stillbirth
- Chronic HTN
- Diabetes with vascular disease
- Renal impairment
- Anti-phospholipid Syndrome (APS)
- Low PAPP-A-
Aetiology of Growth restriction:
- Problem with mother (3)
- Problem with foetus (2)
Problem with mother: (↓ gas exchange + nutrient delivery)
- Impaired maternal oxygen carrying
- (heart disease, smoking, haemoglobinopathies) - Impaired oxygen delivery
- (due to maternal vascular disease, HTN, diabetes, autoimmune disease) - Placental damage
- (smoking, thrombophilia, PET, autoimmune disease)
Problem with foetus:
- Chromosomal/congenital abnormalities
- Intrauterine infections
FGR: Implications for foetus
- Short term (5)
- Long term (7)
Short term:
- Premature birth (necrotising enterocolitis, HIE, chronic lung disease, NICU stay)
- Low APGAR’s
- Hypoglycaemia/hypocalcaemia
- Hypothermia
- Polycythaemia and hyperbilirubinaemia
Long term:
- Learning difficulties
- Short stature
- Failure to thrive
- Cerebral palsy
- HTN
- T2DM
- Heart disease
FGR: Screening
- All women are screened for risk factors @ booking.
- If risk factors present: extra surveillance carried out.
- If no risk factors: they are screened with SFH throughout pregnancy at each antenatal visit.
- If SFG < 10 centile/reduced velecity/static growth: referred for growth scan.
FGR: Diagnosis
USS biometry:
- Abdominal circumference (AC)
- Head circumference (HC)
- Femur length (FL)
These are combined using the Hadlock calculation to give Estimated Fetal Weight (EFW).
Umbilical Artery Doppler: Definition
Measure of the resistance to blood flow in the umbilical artery (and therefore placenta).
In a normal pregnancy there should be no resistance to blood flow in the UA.
In FGR, the placenta does not function correctly and there is increased resistance to blood flow coming from the UA.
This results in decreased flow in the UA (↓ end diastolic flow - EDF).
As this worsens, the resistance becomes so great there is no flow in the UA (absent EDF).
Eventually, resistance is so great it reverses the blood flow in the UA (reversed EDF).
FGR: Management
- Early onset (4)
- Late onset (3)
Early onset (<32 wks)):
- Detailed USS
- Amniocentesis
- Steroids
- Intensive monitoring
Late onset (>32 wks):
- Surveillance
- Delivery if evidence of foetal compromise
- Steroids if <36 wks
FGR: Prevention (3)
- Smoking cessation
- Aspirin for women @ risk of PET
- Appropriate screening
Analgesia for labour: Key points
- Many different techniques available.
- Regional and non-regional.
- Non-regional techniques = most frequently used.
- Most commonly used opioid: meperidine (pethidine).
- Inhalation of nitrous oxide relieves pain.
- Epidural analgesia provides superior analgesia for labour.
- There is no association between epidural anaesthesia + ↑ risk of c-section or post-partum backache.
Analgesia for labour: Non-pharmacological methods (7)
- TENS
- Relaxation/breathing techniques
- Temperature modulation
- Hypnosis
- Massage
- Acupuncture
- Aromatherapy
Analgesia for labour: Summary
- Regional (3)
- Non-regional (2)
Regional:
- Spinal
- Epidural
- Combined
Non-regional
- Pharmacological
- Non-pharmacological (inhalation, systemic)
Analgesia for labour: TENS
- Electrodes placed about 2cm over the T10-L1 dermatomes.
- On either side of the spinous processes.
- Provide analgesia for the 1st stage of labour.
- 2nd set of electrodes is placed over the S2-S4 dermatomes for 2nd stage pain relief.