[BLUNT AND PENETRATING ABDOMINAL INJURIES DURING PREGNANCY].

INTRODUCTION: Abdominal trauma, especially blunt trauma, is a prevalent complaint during all the stages of pregnancy, which mostly ends without any severe complications to the pregnant mother or the fetus. However, this kind of injury may carry a significant risk to the pregnant mother, to the fetus or to both in case of misdiagnosis regarding the severity of the damage - hence delaying the treatment. Diagnostic modalities are peritoneal lavage, ultrasonography and CT scans. Nevertheless, the high index of suspicion in any case of abdominal trauma during pregnancy remains the responsibility of the attending physician because there is not always a correlation between the complaints of the pregnant woman and the severity of her condition. Today, the main causes for abdominal trauma during pregnancy are car accidents, falls and assaults of pregnant women. In the present article the physiologic mechanisms that cause damage in cases of abdominal trauma during pregnancy, as well as the methods of diagnosis and treatment, are reviewed. It should be remembered that abdominal trauma during pregnancy may be a penetrating one - hence the rate, as well as the severity of the risk to both mother and fetus are significantly raised.

The Hemodynamics of Labor in Women Undergoing Vaginal and Cesarean Deliveries as Determined by Whole Body Bioimpedance.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the hemodynamics of labor, delivery, and 48 hours postpartum in women undergoing vaginal and cesarean deliveries by utilizing a whole body bioimpedance-based device. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective longitudinal single-center observational study was performed between September 2014 and September 2015. The hemodynamics of low-risk women undergoing spontaneous vaginal delivery were compared with those undergoing elective cesarean sections. Cardiac index (CI), stroke index, total peripheral resistance index (TPRI), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were assessed at different time points during delivery and in the immediate postpartum period (1, 24, and 48 hours postpartum). RESULTS: Eighty-seven women were evaluated, 63 parturients in the vaginal delivery group and 24 in the cesarean delivery group. Normal vaginal delivery was characterized by a reduction in MAP and CI after epidural anesthesia, whereas elective cesarean sections were characterized by a rise in MAP and CI after spinal anesthesia. As labor progressed, CI increased reaching its peak during the second stage. Immediately following delivery, TPRI declined to its nadir with no significant change in CI. As opposed to vaginal delivery, in cesarean delivery, TPRI peaked within 1-hour postpartum resulting in a significant decline in CI. CONCLUSION: Whole body bioimpedance can be used effectively to assess the hemodynamics of vaginal and cesarean deliveries.