Physiological Changes in Pregnant Women and Their Implications in Anesthetic Applications

Abstract

Abstract Pregnancy is accompanied by important physiological changes that must be known for proper anesthetic management. This review aims to summarize the main physiological changes that occur during pregnancy and their implications in anesthetic management. Accordingly, a non-systematic bibliographic review was carried out in the following databases: COCHRANE, PUBMED, MEDLINE, LILACS, among others, for reviews and meta-analyses published between 2015 and 2020. In total, 39 bibliographic sources on the subject were found, of which 36 scientific articles that provided relevant information were used. It was found that the knowledge of the various physiological changes that occur during pregnancy is crucial in anesthetic management, considering that adequate preparation of equipment, medications, availability of qualified anesthesiologists, and modification of anesthetic technique to adapt to these are needed for the successful performance of procedures during pregnancy, thus, reducing complications and maternal–fetal morbidity and mortality.

Keywords

• pregnant, physiological, drugs, uteroplacental.