Emergency Obstetric Anesthesia — Flashcards

Flashcard 1: Preoxygenation with tidal volume breathing of _____ mins is required before tracheal intubation

Answer: 3

Flashcard 2: A sudden fall in EtCO2 with hypotension along with normal airway pressure during surgery is suggestive of _____.

Answer: CO2 embolism

Flashcard 3: _____ anesthesia is the first choice for most patients with preeclampsia during labor, vaginal delivery, and cesarean section

Answer: Epidural

Flashcard 4: Most common cause of death during GA in obstetrics is _____ syndrome

Answer: Mendelson's syndrome

Flashcard 5: A _____ is the preferred anesthetic technique for ensuring painless labor

Answer: lumbar epidural

Flashcard 6: Which type of anesthesia is preferred for the management of a patient with severe **post-partum hemorrhage** and hemodynamic instability?

Answer: General anesthesia

Extra: General anesthesia (GA) is the technique of choice in the presence of hypovolemic shock because neuraxial anesthesia (spinal/epidural) causes sympathectomy, which can lead to profound, life-threatening hypotension. **Note on Inhalational Agents:** Volatile anesthetics (like Sevoflurane or Isoflurane) are potent uterine relaxants. While this is beneficial for manual removal of a retained placenta or uterine inversion, these agents should be used at very low concentrations (<0.5 MAC) if the PPH is due to uterine atony to avoid worsening the hemorrhage.