Obstetric Airway Management Flashcards
What are the two major reasons that airway is a leading cause of anesthetic mortality
1) to secure a patient airway
2) Aspiration
Anesthesia related obstetric mortality occurs in how many patients
1: 500,000 Pregnancies
What are the risk associated with pregnancy and airways
1) Failure to Intubate
2) Aspiration
3) Hypoxemia
4) Urgency for two patients
5) Failure to prepare completely, I.e. plan A, B,C …
True or false. NPO status eliminates risk of aspiration
False. It does not eliminate risk for aspiration
In regards to aspiration what decreases gastric emptying? Increases gastric acidity?
Decreased gastric emptying
1) Progesterone
2) Stress of labor
3) Narcotics
Increase gastric acidity
1) Gastrin
What factors decrease gastric emptying
1) Progesterone
2) stress of labor
3) narcotics
What causes increases in gastric acid
Gastrin
What causes decreased Gastro esophageal sphincter tone
1) Reflux patients
2) anticholinergics ( Impede tone)
3) narcotics
4) insertion and removal of NG tube (impacts competency of GE Junction)
How does pregnancy effect gastric pressures
Single pregnancy, 7 –> 17 cmH2O
Twin pregnancy, 7 –> 40
How does the lithotomy position Impact gastric Pressure
Single pregnancy, 17 –> 24 cmH2O
What factors contribute to failure to Intubate
1) Upper airway edema
2) adiposity of Head, neck, and trunk
3) breast enlargement
In comparison to non-gravid patients what is the failure to Intubate rate
10 fold. ( Actual number 1: 250)
What are the contributing factors to hypoxemia during pregnancy
FRC decreases by 20% in pregnancy
VO2 (Oxygen consumption)
Increases by 20% in term
Increases by 60% in active labor
In regards to your pre-op consult, how do you Identify the increased risks
1) Perform excellent airway history exam
2) asses head neck trunk breast when supine 3) assess ability to visualize upper airway
4) documented history exam and increase risk and discuss with patient family
What are some causes of aspiration in the Obstetric patient
1) Decreased gastric emptying
2) Increased gastric acidity
3) Decreased gastroesophageal sphincter tone
4) Hiatal hernia (27%)
5) Increased gastric pressure
6) Failure to Intubate