Complications of Pregnancy Flashcards
What is an ectopic pregnancy and where can it occur?
implantation of a fertilized egg outside the uterine cavity, can occur in the fallopian tubes, cervix, ovary, cornual region of the uterus, and abdominal cavity
What are risk factors for an ectopic pregnancy?
- history of pelvic inflammatory disease
- previous ectopic pregnancy
- history of tubal surgery or tubal ligation
- fertility drugs or assisted reproduction technology
- IUD
What are potential complications of an ectopic pregnancy?
- rupture of pelvic organ or structure
- massive hemorrhage
- infertility
- maternal death
What is the treatment for an ectopic pregnancy?
- methotrexate therapy (fetus must be
What is cervical incompetence?
women have multiple missed abortions and can’t carry child to term, treated by doing a cervical cerclage and sewing the cervix shut
What is intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR)?
growth of the fetus is inhibited by a hostile intrauterine environment
What are some maternal causes for IUGR?
- smoking
- protein malnutrition
- substance abuse
- chronic HTN
- pre-eclampsia
- diabetes
- hemoglobinopathies (sickle cell)
What are placental and/or umbilical causes for IUGR?
- multiple gestation
- twin-to-twin transfusion
- placental or cord abnormalities
- chronic abruption
- placenta previa
What are characteristics of an infant with IUGR?
- birth weight /= 3 cm from expected
What is the pathophysiology behind IUGR?
- nutrition and gas exchange to the fetus is diminished
- nutritional stores are depleted
- blood flow is redistributed preferentially to develop vital organs and maintain the fetus (bone marrow, muscles, lungs, GI tract and kidneys have diminished blood flow)
What are fetal complications of IUGR?
- intolerance of labor
- IUFD/stillbirth
- temperature instability
- necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)
- renal failure
Does the breech presentation increase or decrease with increasing gestational age?
decreases with increasing gestational age
25-28 weeks = 28%
29-32 weeks = 14%
37-40 weeks = 7%
What are the 3 types of breech presentation?
frank (65%)
complete (10%)
incomplete (25%)
What is the frank breech position?
hips flexed with legs straight up
What is the complete breech position?
sitting “indian-style”
What is the incomplete breech position?
feet or knees presenting
single vs double footling
What are breech delivery options?
vaginal trial of labor
elective c-section
external cephalic version
When might you do a vaginal trial of labor for a breech position?
- estimated fetal weight
What are potential labor complications of breech presentation?
- failure to progress (fetal buttocks and feet do not provide an adequate wedge to block and dilate the cervix)
- umbilical cord prolapse (cervical opening is not uniformly occluded)
- fetal head entrapment (largest part of fetus comes last)
- increased maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality
What are maternal risks with multiple gestation?
- anemia
- polyhydramnios
- HTN
- preterm labor
- post-partum uterine atony
- post-partum hemorrhage
- diabetes
- pre-eclampsia
- c-section
What are fetal risks for multiple gestation?
- prematurity
- malpresentation
- placenta previa
- abruptio placenta
- PROM
- IUGR
- umbilical cord prolapse
- congenital anomalies
- increased morbidity and mortality
When is vaginal delivery attempted for twins?
when twin A is vertex
What is a relative indication for elective c-section for twins?
when twin B is not vertex
What is the delivery mode of choice for triplets and quadruplets?
elective c-section
What are anesthesia implications for multiple gestation?
- anticipate large blood loss (adequate IV access, type and crossmatch, have pitocin, methergine, and hemabate available)
- anticipate emergency c-section for twin b (anesthesia may be required to be on stand-by)
What is premature rupture of the membranes?
rupture of membranes prior to 37 weeks gestation
What are complications of PROM?
chorioamnionitis
pre-term labor
fetal pulmonary hypoplasia
umbilical cord prolapse
What is the treatment for PROM?
- dependent upon gestational age, fetal lung maturity, presence of infection, and maternal/fetal well-being
- delivery always indicated in presence of infection or maternal/fetal compromise
- in absence of infection or compromise, delivery is dependent upon fetal viability and fetal lung maturity
- tocolysis controversial
- steroids may be administered to accelerate fetal lung maturity
What is the purpose of an amniocentesis?
determine fetal lung maturity and fetal abnormalities
What is the definition of preterm labor?
contractions with cervical dilatation/effacement at 20-37 weeks gestation
What are associated factors with preterm labor?
- infection (chorioamnionitis, STDs, UTIs)
- uterine distention (multiple gestation, polyhydramnios)
- uterine anomalies (fibroids, bicornuate uterus)
- cervical compromise (incompetent cervix, previous bone biopsy or LEEP procedure)
- placental abruption
- uteroplacental insufficiency (HTN, IDDM, smoking, drug abuse, alcohol consumption)
What are the 2 treatment options for preterm labor?
delivery (IUGR, abruption, bleeding, infection, +CST, oligohydramnios, repetitive variable decels)
tocolysis
What a tocolytic agents used for preterm labor?
MgSO4 (Ca channel blocker)
Indomethacin (PGE inhibitor)
Ritodrine and Terbutaline (beta sympathemomimetics)
Nifedipine (Ca channel blocker)
What are complications of MgSO4 for tocolysis?
respiratory or CNS depression, cardiac conduction block
What are complications of Indomethacin for tocolysis?
bronchospasm, bleeding, fetal NEC, fetal IVH
What are complications of ritodrine or terbutaline for tocolysis?
cardiac arrhythmias or ischemia, CHF
What do you do for fetal therapy in preterm labor?
- acceleration in fetal lung maturity occurs with stress
- glucocorticoids also accelerate fetal lung maturity (delivery must be delayed for >/= 12 hours to be effective)