International journal of obstetric anesthesia
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A contemporary, robust immunologic explanation for common obstetric conditions remains elusive; why some pregnant women are more susceptible to developing preeclampsia or preterm labor is not completely understood. We explore the immunology behind four important and commonly encountered pregnancy-related conditions: preeclampsia, recurrent miscarriage, preterm labor and gestational diabetes. For each condition, we summarize the current understanding of cytokines implicated in the pathogenesis, discuss the impact of anesthesia and analgesia on selected cytokine profiles, and suggest potential opportunities for clinical and research interventions.
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Int J Obstet Anesth · May 2016
Influence of reverse Trendelenburg position on aortocaval compression in obese pregnant women.
Obese pregnant women are at risk of aortocaval compression and associated hypotension with neuraxial anaesthesia. We hypothesised that addition of reverse Trendelenburg tilt to the standard practice of pelvic tilt may attenuate aortocaval compression. ⋯ A non-statistically significant improvement of aortocaval compression was noted with the addition of 15° reverse Trendelenburg tilt to the supine with pelvic tilt position in obese pregnant women.
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Int J Obstet Anesth · May 2016
Comparative StudyDifferences in lumbar dural sac dimension in supine and lateral positions in late pregnancy: a magnetic resonance imaging study.
This study was designed to quantitatively investigate differences in lumbar dural sac dimensions between the lateral and supine positions in late pregnancy. ⋯ The axial section area and the transversal maximum diameter of the dural sac in the lumbar area are reduced in the supine compared with the lateral position in late pregnancy.
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Int J Obstet Anesth · May 2016
Programmed intermittent epidural boluses for maintenance of labor analgesia: an impact study.
The aim of this impact study was to compare the analgesic efficacy and side effect profile of programmed intermittent epidural boluses (PIEB)+patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) to continuous epidural infusion (CEI)+PCEA for maintenance labor analgesia after the introduction of PIEB at our institution. ⋯ Using PIEB compared to CEI as the background maintenance epidural analgesia method in conjunction with PCEA reduced the number of women requiring clinician rescue boluses while providing comparable labor analgesia. The findings of this clinical care impact study confirm the results of randomized controlled studies and suggest PIEB may be a preferable technique to CEI for the maintenance of labor analgesia.