Ocular sonography in pre-eclampsia: a simple technique to detect raised intracranial pressure?

Effect of epidural anesthesia on the optic nerve sheath diameter in patients with pre-eclampsia: a prospective observational study

INTRODUCTION

Optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) reflects intracranial pressure and is increased in pre-eclampsia. Administrating a significant volume of epidural solution into the epidural space can potentially increase ONSD. We investigated the impact of epidural local anesthetic injection on ONSD in patients with pre-eclampsia.

METHODS

Patients with pre-eclampsia (n=11) and normotensive pregnant women (n=11) received de novo epidural anesthesia for cesarean delivery. We administered 21 mL of an epidural solution containing 2% lidocaine and 50 μg fentanyl into the lumbar epidural space in incremental doses. ONSD was measured at baseline, 3, 10, and 20 min after completing the epidural injection, after delivery, and at the end of surgery. Primary outcome was the change in ONSD from baseline to 3 min after epidural injection in patients with pre-eclampsia and normotensive pregnant women. Serial changes in the ONSD were analyzed using a linear mixed model.

RESULTS

At baseline and 3 min after epidural drug injection, ONSD was significantly larger in patients with pre-eclampsia than in normotensive mothers (5.7 vs 4.1 mm, p=0.001 and 5.4 vs 4.1 mm, p<0.001, respectively). However, there were no significant changes in ONSD at 3 min after injection from baseline in either group (p>0.999). Linear mixed model demonstrated that ONSD did not change after epidural anesthesia in either group (p=0.279 and p=0.347, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite a higher baseline ONSD in pre-eclampsia, epidural anesthesia did not further increase ONSD. Our findings indicate that epidural anesthesia can be safely administered in patients with pre-eclampsia at risk of increased intracranial pressure, without other intracranial pathology.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT04095832.

Optic nerve sheath diameter in severe preeclampsia with neurologic features versus controls

BACKGROUND

Optic nerve sheath diameters (ONSD) have been validated as an accurate screening tool to detect elevated intracranial pressure in hypertensive encephalopathy. The neurologic manifestations of preeclampsia and/or eclampsia mimic those of hypertensive encephalopathy. This study was performed to assess the incidence of elevated optic nerve sheath diameters of patients with severe preeclampsia and neurologic criteria compared to non-preeclamptic patients. The secondary objective was to determine baseline optic nerve sheath diameters in patients with severe preeclampsia without neurologic criteria and preeclampsia without severe features.

METHODS

Single site cohort study including 62 pregnant women 18 years or older and 20 weeks or further gestation. Patients with preeclampsia without severe features, preeclampsia with severe features by non-neurologic criteria, preeclampsia with severe features with neurologic criteria, and patients without preeclampsia were enrolled via convenience sampling. One blinded reviewer measured sheath diameters; baseline demographics and pregnancy data were collected by chart review. Statistical analysis was completed with STATA/IC 16. Categorical variables were compared by the χ2 test. Continuous variables were presented as mean ± standard deviation, and discrete variables were presented as medians and compared by Kruskal-Wallis testing. Normality was confirmed by Shapiro-Wilk testing. Linear and logistic regression were used to test the association between the preeclampsia groups and optic nerve sheath diameters. Models were presented as unadjusted and adjusted for BMI, gestation, hypertension, diabetes, parity, and gravidity.

RESULTS

The incidence of optic nerve sheath diameters > 5.8 mm was 43.8% in the severe preeclampsia with neurologic features cohort, and 42.1% in the control cohort, with a relative risk of 1.04. Patients with severe preeclampsia without neurologic features had sheath diameters of 5.75 mm ± 1.09 mm; non-severe preeclampsia patients had sheath diameters of 5.54 mm ± 1.26 mm.

CONCLUSIONS

We did not find a significant elevated optic nerve sheath diameter relative risk between severe preeclampsia patients with neurologic features and non-preeclampsia control patients. This is the first study to assess a North American population utilizing ACOG criteria for severe and non-severe preeclampsia, with severe cohorts additionally stratified by neurologic criteria.

Preeclampsia in 2021-a Perioperative Medical Challenge for the Anesthesiologist

The authors provide a review of recent advances in the understanding of pathophysiology and perioperative management of preeclampsia and eclampsia, from the perspective of the anesthesiologist. This review includes aspects of assessment of severity of disease, hemodynamic monitoring, peripartum anesthesia care, and postpartum management. The perioperative management of patients with eclampsia is also discussed.

[Special pathologies of pregnant patients in intensive care medicine]

Da die Inzidenz intensivtherapiepflichtiger Erkrankungen in Schwangerschaft oder Puerperium sehr niedrig ist, werden Intensivmediziner bei der Behandlung dieser Patientinnen vor eine Vielzahl von ungewohnten Herausforderungen gestellt. Die physiologischen und pathophysiologischen Veränderungen während einer Schwangerschaft bedingen einige Besonderheiten bezüglich der intensivmedizinischen Behandlung schwangerer oder kürzlich entbundener Patientinnen. Nachdem im ersten Beitrag dieser CME-Reihe die wichtigsten Prinzipien und aktuellen Empfehlungen zur Versorgung intensivtherapiebedürftiger schwangerer oder frisch entbundener Patientinnen behandelt wurden, fokussiert der zweite Beitrag auf Diagnostik und Therapie spezieller, ausgewählter Krankheitsbilder.