physiological changes in pregnancy

Question 1

Skin changes in pregnancy include:

Answer 1

chloasma or melasma
Linea nigra
striae gravidarum
spider telangiectasia.
Palmar Erythema.

Question 2

gastrointestinal system changes

Answer 2

• decreased gastric motility/constipation
  *increase reflux
  *heartburn
  *displacement of the appendix upward
  *cholecystitis

Question 3

renal/urinary system changes

Answer 3

increased glomerular filtration rate =
decreased blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine
*urinary frequency
*nocturia
mild hyponatremia
*dilation of the ureter (increases risk for pyelonephritis)
*renin increases 10 times
*glucosuria

Question 4

heme system changes

Answer 4

*dilutional anemia
*prothrombotic state
*blood volume increase 50%
*leukocytosis can reach 20,000 during labor
*hemoglobin concentration of <11g/dl in first or third trimester=anemia (in second <10.5)

*fibrinogen rise up to 50%

Question 5

cardiovascular

Answer 5

increase cardiac output(40%) and heart rate
*split in s1
* low BP
*decrease in systemic vascular resistance

Question 6

pulmonary system

Answer 6

chronic respiratory alkalosis with metabolic compensation
increase pao2 and decrease paco2
*Co2 increase 40%
*increase tidal volume
total lung capacity and functional residual capacity decreases
*progesterone causes respiratory alkalosis by hyper ventilation

Question 7

what increases the cardiac output ?

Answer 7

*in early pregnancy ,the increase in stroke volume (25-30)% increases the cardiac output

• in late pregnancy ,the increase in heart rate increases the cardiac output

Question 8

at what week the uterus lies totaly within the pelvis

Answer 8

12 weeks
**reaches the umbilicus at week 20-22