European journal of anaesthesiology
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Difficult tracheal intubation following induction of general anaesthesia for caesarean section is a cause of morbidity and mortality. Our aim was to evaluate five bedside predictors that might identify women with potential intubation difficulty immediately prior to emergency caesarean section. ⋯ Airway assessment using these tests cannot be relied upon to predict a difficult intubation at emergency caesarean section as the low sensitivity means that 79% (95%CI 49-95) of difficult intubations will be missed.
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Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune neuromuscular disease, usually affecting women in the second and third decades. The course is unpredictable during pregnancy and puerperium. Myasthenia gravis can cause major interference in labour and partum and exacerbations of the disease frequently occur. The aim of this series of cases is to analyse retrospectively the anaesthetic management of myasthenia gravis patients and complications during the peripartum period. ⋯ Myasthenia gravis can interfere slightly with pregnancy and partum, although exacerbations of the disease occur frequently. Strict surveillance and therapeutic optimisation are crucial. In women with controlled disease, caesarean section should be carried out only if there are obstetric reasons. Locoregional anaesthesia is preferred, mainly epidural block. A good multidisciplinary cooperation, specific precautions and surveillance can certainly contribute to an improved outcome in myasthenia gravis patients during the peripartum period.