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Review
. 2018 Sep;62(9):651-657.
doi: 10.4103/ija.IJA_458_18.

Physiological and anatomical changes of pregnancy: Implications for anaesthesia

Pradeep Bhatia  1 , Swati Chhabra  1
Affiliations
Review

Physiological and anatomical changes of pregnancy: Implications for anaesthesia

Pradeep Bhatia et al. Indian J Anaesth. 2018 Sep.

Abstract

During pregnancy, the body goes through various anatomical and physiological changes to provide suitable environment for foetal development, to cater to the increased metabolic demands and to prepare for the childbirth. These changes have notable anaesthetic implications in determining the optimal anaesthetic technique, while also keeping in mind the gestational age, type of procedure and any coexisting medical condition. It is important to note that these changes revert to baseline (pre-pregnancy) levels at different time intervals during the postpartum period which is important while managing postpartum patients. None of the anaesthetic agents are known teratogens; however, there is concern regarding the effects of some agents on the developing brain.

Keywords: Anaesthetic implications; physiologic changes; pregnancy; transplacental drugs transfer.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Graphical representation of changes in cardiac output during pregnancy, labour and postpartum. (↑:Increase)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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