Obstetric anesthesia-associated endocrine emergencies: An update / 第二军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

During pregnancy, physiological state and hormone level of maternal endocrine system have great changes, providing a suitable environment for fetal growth and development. These physiologic changes have a significant impact on anesthetic physiology, pharmacology and the management techniques. With the progression of pregnancy, the changes of endocrine organs, including pituitary, thyroid, pancreas and adrenal gland are more obvious, and may cause correlated emergencies. Obstetric operations are mostly emergency operations. Any endocrine emergency during pregnancy may be life-threatening for both mothers and fetuses. This review summarizes the common endocrine emergencies during pregnancy and the key steps of diagnosis and treatment, aiming to help anesthesiologists fully understand the changes of maternal physiology, the treatment methods of the emergencies, and the key points of anesthesia management.