Why the study?
Does pregnancy alter the point of airway closure in relation to vital capacity and expiratory reserve volume compared to the post-partum period?
Does pregnancy alter the point of airway closure in relation to vital capacity and expiratory reserve volume compared to the post-partum period?
Pregnancy reduces expiratory reserve volume without changing the airway closure point relative to vital capacity, increasing the risk of airway closure during tidal ventilation, particularly in the supine position.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May heighten tidal airway closure risk in supine pregnancy; leaves open effects on perioperative outcomes.
During pregnancy there is a fall in functional residual capacity and expiratory reserve volume. The point of airway closure in relation to vital capacity and the expiratory reserve volume was determined in 11 post-partum patients who had previously been studied during pregnancy. The lung volume at which airway closure occurred in pregnancy and the post-partum period did not change in relation to the vital capacity whereas the expiratory reserve volume did, so that airway closure became imminent in the pregnant women during tidal ventilation, especially whilst in the suping position. The significance of this alteration in pulmonary function to obstetric anaesthesia is discussed.
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Holdcroft et al. (1977) studied this question.
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