Valvular heart disease during pregnancy is a high-risk situation for both the parturient and fetus. Indeed, Cardiovascular changes can decompensate disease. The tolerance of depends on severity management in patient with significant cardiac involvement challenge requires multidisciplinary approach.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to compare the level of stress and anxiety between women resident in communities with different degrees of access to local maternity services. DESIGN   Cross-sectional survey. SETTING Fifty-two communities across rural British Columbia with different levels of access to maternity care services (ranging from no services to local specialist obstetricia...

Although regional anaesthesia is a commonly preferred anaesthesia technique for pregnant patients undergoing non-obstetric surgery, peripheral nerve blocks are relatively less administered. The use of popliteal sciatic nerve block for foot-ankle surgery has been presented for a nulliparous parturient at 32 weeks of gestation scheduled to undergo surgical exploration of an arterial pseudoaneurys...

HELLP syndrome (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes, Low Platelets) is considered to be a variant or severe form of pre-eclampsia, a life threatening complication of pregnancy. Gestational Diabetes Insipidus (GDI) can coexist with severe preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome. The combination of these two conditions presents a unique challenge to the anesthesiologist and the obstetric team, caring for t...

Lower segment caesarean section (LSCS) is a life-saving procedure for the parturient and her baby. The frequency of caesarean section continues to rise steadily worldwide [1]. Today, caesarean delivery accounts for more than 30% of all births [2]. In India the incidence of LSCS is increased from 3% to10% between 1992-93 and 2005-06 [3]. Anaesthesia to a parturient affects both mother and fetus,...

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare form of heart failure of unknown etiology that is associated with late pregnancy and the early postpartum period. Although the complete pathogenesis of PPCM is not completely understood, the signs and symptoms are identical to those of left ventricular heart failure. The diagnosis of PPCM is made in a parturient only after other causes of heart failure...

AANA Journal February 2009 Vol. 77, No. 1 29 There is little data currently available for the obstetric anesthetist to use as a reference for the anesthetic management of laboring women with automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (AICDs). This case report involves a parturient with an AICD and a history of serious cardiac events.The information contained in this case report may be us...