Acute complications of pregnancy can appear in all trimesters and pose challenges in diagnosis and management for the emergency physician. Life-threatening disorders, such as ectopic pregnancy in early pregnancy, pregnancy-induced hypertension in mid to late pregnancy, and abruptio placentae in late pregnancy, are relatively common. Clinicians must consider the signs and symptoms, stage of preg...

OBJECTIVES To provide an up-to-date review of the literature on the assessment and management of pulmonary and cardiac conditions that may affect women during pregnancy and the postpartum period. DESIGN A review of the current literature was performed. RESULTS Pregnancy may be complicated by a variety of pregnancy-specific and other cardiopulmonary complications. Management requires knowled...

Pregnancy induces significant physiologic stresses on the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems that may precipitate respiratory compromise. In addition, certain disease states that are unique to the pregnant woman, such as amniotic fluid emboli syndrome, may be associated with respiratory failure. The physiologic changes that affect the pregnant woman are reviewed. Pregnancy-related conditions ...

Complications arising in the third trimester often challenge the clinician to balance the concern for maternal well-being with the consequences of infant prematurity. The most serious and challenging antepartum issues relate to preterm labor and birth, hypertensive disorders, and bleeding events. This article guides the practitioner through decision-making and management of these problems.

A single placenta normally supports a single fetus. When the situation arises in which two fetuses have to share a single placenta, complications may sometimes develop. Identical twins that share a single placenta are called monochorionic twins (MC). ?Chorion? is the Latin root that refers to the placenta, while the word ?amnion? refers to the sac, or ?membranes? that surround each fetus. While...

Pregnancy causes significant metabolic and hemodynamic changes in a woman's physiology to allow for fetal growth. The inability to adapt to these changes might result in the development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (hypertension, preeclampsia or eclampsia), gestational diabetes and preterm birth. Contrary to previous beliefs these complications are not limited to the pregnancy period ...

A single placenta normally supports a single fetus. When the situation arises in which two fetuses have to share a single placenta, complications may sometimes develop. Identical twins that share a single placenta are called monochorionic twins (MC). ?Chorion? is the Latin root that refers to the placenta, while the word ?amnion? refers to the sac, or ?membranes? that surround each fetus. While...

Objectives: To find out the maternal and fetal complications of twin gestation and to assess the effect of these complications on perinatal outcome. Material and Methods: This Descriptive study was carried out in Gynae B Unit of Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar from January 2010 to December 2010. A total of 50 patients with twin pregnancy who had completed 28 weeks of twin gestation both book...

Thrombophilic risk factors are common and can be found in 15% to 25% of Caucasian populations. Since pregnancy is an acquired hypercoagulable state, women harboring thrombophilia may present with clinical symptoms of vascular complications for the first time during gestation or at the postpartum period(1). Women with thrombophilia may have an increased risk of placental vascular complications, ...

Venous thromboembolism is the leading cause of pregnancy-associated morbidity and mortality. Women with thrombophilia have an increased risk of VTE in pregnancy and puerperium. In individuals with hereditary thrombosis risk factors a relative risk of pregnancy associated VTE ranging from 3.4 to 15.2 has been found. Women with previous VTE have an approximately 3.5-fold increased risk of recurre...