Emergency in obstetric anaesthesia

Background Multidisciplinary simulation training in the management of acute obstetric emergencies has the potential to reduce both maternal and perinatal morbidity. It is a valuable tool that can be adapted for targeted audiences of different specialities at all experience levels from medical students to senior consultants. Methods In this study, pre- and post-course questionnaires of learners with varying levels of clinical experience from Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G), Anaesthesia, Neonatology, Emergency Medicine, midwifery, and nursing who undertook two simulation courses (namely the Combined Obstetrics Resuscitation Training course, CORE, and the CORE Lite), which comprised lectures and simulation drills with manikins and standardized patients, between 2015 and 2023 were compared...

OBJECTIVE: To explore the experiences of patients with ectopic pregnancies with delayed medical care, with the goals to promote timely access to care, reduce subsequent physical and psychological impacts, and provide recommendations for improved management of ectopic pregnancies. DESIGN: A qualitative study. SETTING: A 1000-bed urban edge hospital located in the suburban area of Guangzhou, China, between December 2022 and February 2023. PARTICIPANTS: 21 patients with delays in seeking medical care for ectopic pregnancy...

INTRODUCTION: General anaesthesia for emergent caesarean section, though uncommon, is vital in expediting deliveries. Studies indicate higher complication risks among pregnant migrant women. This research investigates if migrant women in Iceland are more likely to undergo general anaesthesia for emergent caesarean section compared to their Icelandic counterparts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This population-based cohort study analysed 4,415 emergency caesarean sections in Iceland between 2007 and 2018, sourced from the National Birth Registry...

General anaesthesia is typically recommended for category 1 emergency caesarean delivery (CD). For categories 2-4 emergencies, either regional and general anaesthesia could be used. However, the factors influencing the choice of anaesthetic technique in these categories remain poorly understood. We analysed the association between the type of labour analgesia and subsequent anaesthetic techniques employed for intrapartum categories 2 and 3 CD. A prospective longitudinal cohort study was conducted at the University Medical Centre Ljubljana...

PURPOSE: To evaluate obstetric units (OUs) and intensive care units (ICUs) preparedness for severe maternal morbidity (SMM). METHODS: From September 2021 to January 2022, an international multicentre cross-sectional study surveyed OUs in 26 WHO Europe Region countries. We assessed modified early obstetric warning score usage (MEOWS), approaches to four SMM clinical scenarios, invasive monitoring availability in OUs, and access to high-dependency units (HDUs) and onsite ICUs...

BACKGROUND: Local anaesthetic systemic toxicity (LAST) is a rare but life-threatening complication that can occur after local anaesthetic administration. Various clinical guidelines recommend an intravenous lipid emulsion as a treatment for local anaesthetic-induced cardiac arrest. However, its therapeutic application in pregnant patients has not yet been established. This scoping review aims to systematically identify and map the evidence on the efficacy and safety of intravenous lipid emulsion for treating LAST during pregnancy...

INTRODUCTION: Our department of anesthesiology has been conducting weekly, for several years, a group consultation to educate childbearing people about labor analgesia. The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic forced an adaptation to a virtual consultation format. Since there are no studies about online group consultation on labor analgesia in order to understand its role, an anonymous questionnaire was created and applied. The objective was to evaluate this new consultation format, namely the ease of access, usefulness of the content provided, and its impact on the satisfaction and experience of childbirth...

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Cesarean section in a mother with a sextuplet pregnancy is challenging for an anesthesiologist. Several perioperative complications are likely because of the overdistended uterus and associated changes in the mother. We are reporting the case of a woman with a sextuplet pregnancy who came for an emergency cesarean. She also had a background history of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and ovulation induction for conception. Early pregnancy was complicated by ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. She required cervical cerclage in early pregnancy...

BACKGROUND: The risk of aspiration during general anesthesia for cesarean delivery has long been thought to be increased due to factors such as increased intra-abdominal pressures and delayed gastric emptying in pregnant patients. However, recent studies have reported normal gastric emptying in pregnant patients, suggesting that the risk of aspiration may not be as high as previously believed. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 48,609 cesarean deliveries, of which 22,690 (46...

Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is a congenital heart defect characterized by four interlinked cardiac anomalies, leading to cyanosis and significant health risks if left untreated. We present the management and outcome of an adult patient with unrepaired TOF at 34 weeks of pregnancy at a central Johannesburg hospital. Uncorrected TOF in adulthood, especially in the late stages of pregnancy, is rare, presenting challenges for both the mother and baby. This case report outlines our successful management strategy, highlighting the importance of careful hemodynamic stability...

OBJECTIVE: Although the caesarean delivery (CD) rate has substantially increased, little is known about its impacts when performed in the first and second stages of labour on fetomaternal outcomes, especially among referred mothers. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the association between CDs performed during the first and second stages of labour and poor maternal and neonatal outcomes among mothers referred to tertiary centres. SETTING: This retrospective cohort study analysed medical records of mother-infant pairs from September 2020 to May 2023 in Southern Ethiopia...

In 2023, a Diploma of Rural Generalist Anaesthesia (DipRGA) was implemented across Australia. Developed collaboratively by the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA), the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), the 12-month qualification is completed during or following ACRRM or RACGP Rural Generalist Fellowship training. Focused on the needs of rural and remote communities for elective and emergency surgery, maternity care, resuscitative care for medical illness or injury, and stabilisation for retrieval, the DipRGA supports rural generalist anaesthetists working within collaborative teams in geographically isolated settings...

Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) is an abnormal pregnancy caused by the placenta, which can potentially metastasise. Suction evacuation is recommended for diagnosis and treatment, and dilatation and evacuation (D&E) is usually performed under intravenous anaesthesia due to the short operation time and minimal blood loss. We refer to the guidelines produced by the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (JSOG), and acknowledge that practices vary globally. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no evidence on perioperative management and arrangements in D&E required for managing giant hydatidiform moles, such as preventing massive haemorrhage, respiratory dysfunction with a pathogenesis like ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), or intensive care needs...

Complications and critical incidents arising during anaesthesia due to patient, surgical or anaesthetic factors, may cause harm themselves or progress to more severe events, including cardiac arrest or death. As part of the 7th National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, we studied a prospective national cohort of unselected patients. Anaesthetists recorded anonymous details of all cases undertaken over 4 days at their site through an online survey. Of 416 hospital sites invited to participate, 352 (85%) completed the survey...

PURPOSE: Severe acute pain after Cesarean delivery increases the risk of developing persistent pain (~20% incidence) and postpartum depression (PPD) (~15% incidence). Both conditions contribute to maternal morbidity and mortality, yet early risk stratification remains challenging. Neuroinflammation has emerged as a key mechanism of persistent pain and depression in nonobstetric populations. Nevertheless, most studies focus on plasma cytokines, and the relationship between plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytokine levels is unclear...

INTRODUCTION: Unintentional dural puncture (UDP) occurs in 0.5-1.5% of labour epidural analgesia cases. To date, little is known about evidence of UDP-related complications. This work aimed to assess the incidence of intrapartum and postpartum complications in parturients who experienced UDP. METHODS: This is a 10-year retrospective observational study on parturients admitted to our centre who presented UDP. Data collection gathered UDP-related complications during labour and postpartum...

We present the case of a woman in her late 20s who consulted our gynaecology emergency department due to dyspareunia and vaginal penetration issues. She had undergone a 'virginity reconstruction' procedure 10 days before her wedding in Africa. Clinical examination revealed suture of the inferior part of inner labia (labia minora), narrowing of the vaginal introitus and abnormal vaginal discharge. We performed an inferior defibulation procedure and removed the sutures under general anaesthesia. Postoperative care included systemic metronidazole, counselling, vaginal dilators and topical estrogens for 1 month...

Anaesthesia for caesarean section occurs commonly and places specific demands on anaesthetists. We analysed 469 narratives concerning anaesthesia for caesarean section, entered by Australian and New Zealand anaesthetists into the webAIRS incident reporting system between 2009 and 2022. As expected, compared with the remaining 8978 database entries, the 469 incidents were more likely to be emergency cases (relative risk (RR) 1.95), more likely to occur between 18:00 and 22:00 hours (RR 1.81) and between 22:00 and 07:59 hours (RR 4...

BACKGROUND: Because of critical shortage of physician anaesthesiologists, the government of Tanzania adopted a task shifting strategy for provision of anaesthesia services. This paper describes the results of an operational study designed to increase the number of anaesthesia providers for emergency obstetric surgeries in order to reduce maternal and perinatal mortality in underserved rural Tanzania. METHODS: In 2016 a before-after cohort study was conducted in seven health centres in rural Tanzania...