Anaesthetic management of obstetric and nonobstetric emergencies during pregnancy

Abstract

Background: Obstetric anaesthesia is considered to be one of the higher risk areas of anesthetic practice. The present study is done to know the various anesthetic techniques in management of obstetric emergencies and their complications. Materials & Methods: This was a descriptive study of 100 pregnant patients coming for emergency surgeries. Intraoperative complications such as hypotension, bradycardia, failed spinal, high spinal, seizures, difficult intubation and aspiration were recorded. Results: 78% of the obstetric emergencies were lower segment caesarean section, 16% was surgery for ectopic pregnancy, 3% hysterectomy for postpartum hemorrhage, 1% bartholin cyst excision, 1% I and D and 1% cervical encirclage. 90% of caesarean sections received subarachnoid block. 8% of cases received general anaesthesia and 2% of case subarachnoid block was converted to general anesthesia. 17 cases previous caesarean section in labour, in 13 cases thick meconium stained liquor with foetal distress, in 6 cases failure to progress, in 5 cases cephalopelvic disproportion, in 5 cases premature rupture of membranes and in 4 cases breech presentation in labour. Hypotension was present in 20 cases, bradycardia in 2 cases and failed spinal in 2 cases. Conclusion: Authors concluded that single shot subarachnoid block is the most common method of anaesthesia for emergency caesarean sections. Chickenpox is a worldwide disease and is no respecter race or class. The incidence increases in spring & winter months in the temperate zones. In the tropics, the peak incidence is during winter and early spring. The disease in fact started is helping the virus to spread rapidly.