Maternal hyperventilation as a possible cause of fetal tachycardia sub partu. A clinical and experimental study

Management of pregnant patients undergoing general surgical procedures

Pregnant patients have a 0.2% to 0.75% chance of developing a medical condition that requires a general surgical intervention during pregnancy. To safely and appropriately care for patients, surgeons must be cognizant of the maternal physiologic changes in pregnancy as well as of the unique risk to both mothers and fetuses of diagnostic modalities, anesthetic care, operative intervention, and postoperative management. Surgeons can be assured that, if these risks are understood and considered, operating during pregnancy, even in the abdomen, can be safely undertaken.

Periparturient and neonatal anesthesia

Small animal patients may need to be anesthetized in the periparturient period for emergency, nonobstetric reasons, elective ovariohysterectomy, or cesarean section. In each case, the physiologic changes in the dam must be accounted for in designing an anesthetic protocol, but the requirements of the fetuses will be different. Subsequent to birth, the neonatal animal may need to be anesthetized, and the unique physiology and pharmacology at this age is described.