Obstetric Anesthesia Glossary

Maternal edema and preeclampsia-like symptoms associated with severe fetal hydrops.

Voluntary expulsive force generated by maternal abdominal muscles during the second stage of labor. May be diminished by...

Emergency obstetric positioning technique involving extreme hip flexion to manage shoulder dystocia.

Chemical pneumonitis resulting from aspiration of acidic gastric contents during anesthesia, particularly concerning in...

An ergot alkaloid uterotonic agent used to treat postpartum hemorrhage, contraindicated with hypertension.

A woman who has been pregnant more than once.

Umbrella term for regional anesthetic techniques that involve the central nervous system, including spinal and epidural...

Opioid medications administered into the epidural or intrathecal space to provide analgesia with minimal motor blockade.

Decreased amniotic fluid volume that may complicate fetal positioning and anesthetic management.

Synthetic hormone used to induce or augment labor contractions and prevent postpartum hemorrhage, with significant anest...

Regional anesthetic technique involving injection of local anesthetic around the cervix to provide pain relief during la...

Medical term referring to a woman who is in the process of giving birth or has recently given birth.

Self-administered epidural pain relief system allowing parturients to deliver additional analgesic doses as needed durin...

A pain management technique allowing patients to self-administer additional epidural medication doses within preset safe...

Post-dural puncture headache caused by cerebrospinal fluid leak following inadvertent or intentional dural puncture duri...

Alpha-1 adrenergic agonist vasopressor commonly used to treat maternal hypotension during neuraxial anesthesia in obstet...

Placental implantation over the cervical os, requiring cesarean delivery and special hemorrhage precautions.

Premature separation of the placenta from the uterine wall, causing maternal hemorrhage and fetal compromise requiring e...

The driving pressure for blood flow across the placenta, calculated as the difference between maternal arterial pressure...

Excessive amniotic fluid volume that may complicate delivery and anesthetic positioning.

Severe positional headache resulting from cerebrospinal fluid leakage through an inadvertent or intentional dural breach...

Excessive bleeding following delivery, defined as blood loss greater than 500 mL after vaginal delivery or 1000 mL after...

Surgical sterilization procedure performed shortly after delivery, often requiring neuraxial anesthesia extension.

A pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and often protein in the urine, affecting anesthetic manag...