What causes cardiac arrest in a pregnant patient?
In the U.S., the most common causes of maternal cardiac arrest include bleeding, heart failure, amniotic fluid embolism — when the fluid around the baby enters the mother’s bloodstream and causes an allergic reaction — and sepsis, a severe infection.
What is the most common cause of obstetric cardiac arrest in pregnancy?
The study also shows that hypovolaemia (a decrease in blood volume), venous thromboembolism (a formation of blood clots in the vein) and amniotic fluid embolism (when amniotic fluid or other debris makes its way into the mother’s blood) are the main non-anaesthetic causes of cardiac arrest.
What is the most appropriate action when managing a heavily pregnant woman in cardiac arrest?
Cpr On A Pregnant Woman If a pregnant woman suffers cardiac arrest, you want to perform the same three life-saving actions that you would for anyone else. Specifically, you need to call 911, perform CPR, and use an AED to restart the heart.
What is maternal cardiac arrest?
The major circulation concern during a maternal cardiac arrest is the possibility of aortocaval compression caused by the gravid uterus. The gravid uterus can compress the inferior vena cava resulting in a reduced preload and stroke volume [36–38].
Which position should a pregnant patient be in when carrying out CPR?
Position yourself on the side of the victim and above the patient’s chest. Do not remove her underclothes. The gravid uterus at >20 weeks limits the effectiveness of chest compressions. It may be shifted away from the inferior vena cava and aorta manually by Left uterine displacement.
Can a baby survive cardiac arrest?
Pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) occurs in ∼2 to 8 children per 100 000 person years, with 6% to 27% surviving to hospital discharge. Although the survival rate is higher in traumatic OHCA than in nontraumatic cases, the proportion surviving to hospital discharge remains low.
Does giving birth cause cardiac arrest?
A number of health issues that may occur during childbirth can lead to cardiac arrest, including excessive bleeding, heart failure, heart attack, preeclampsia, blood infection and amniotic fluid embolism, where amniotic fluid enters the mother’s bloodstream.
Can pregnancy cardiac arrest?
Although cardiopulmonary arrest in pregnancy is rare, it can occur, and identification of the underlying cause will guide further treatment. There are many causes of maternal cardiac arrest, including direct complications of pregnancy as well as preexisting disease.
How many joules does it take to shock a patient?
Shock. When the defibrillator is charged, announce the shock warning and make sure no one is touching the patient. Shock the patient with an initial dose of 120 to 200 joules. CPR – 2 min.
What is the recovery position for a pregnant woman?
The recovery position for a pregnant person is performed on the left-hand side of the body. If this is not possible due to injury the casualty should be placed on the right-hand side with a towel or cushion wedged under the belly.
What does Dr ABC stand for?
We can use DRABC to do this: Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing and Circulation.
What is the most common cause of cardiac arrest?
Most cardiac arrests occur when a diseased heart’s electrical system malfunctions. This malfunction causes an abnormal heart rhythm such as ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. Some cardiac arrests are also caused by extreme slowing of the heart’s rhythm (bradycardia).
Who is involved in cardiac arrest in pregnancy?
Maternal resuscitation is an acute event that involves many subspecialties and allied health providers; this document will be relevant to all healthcare providers who are involved in resuscitation and specifically maternal resuscitation. Cardiac arrest in pregnancy is one of the most challenging clinical scenarios.
What are the chances of survival after cardiac arrest?
Despite these problems, recent data show that the rate of survival to hospital discharge after maternal cardiac arrest may be as high as 58.9%, 1 far higher than most arrest populations, further justifying appropriate training and preparation for such events despite their rarity.
What happens to blood flow in the uterus during cardiac arrest?
Overall, uterine vascular reactivity is altered, characterized by reduced tone, enhanced vasodilation, and blunted vasoconstriction. Systemic hypotension can overwhelm the compensatory mechanisms, which attempt to maintain uterine blood flow.
What happens to circulating drug levels during cardiac arrest?
Steroid-induced acceleration of the hepatic P450 metabolism and increased renal clearance will also lower circulating drug levels. Management decisions made during a maternal cardiac arrest may require estimation of gestational age. Symphysis fundal height is the measurement from the top of the maternal pubic bone to the top of the uterine fundus.
