Biomaterial Database

Emergency care of the pregnant traumatized patient. 1984

C E Haycock

In dealing with the traumatized pregnant patient, certain special factors must be kept in mind, as follows: Remember you are dealing with two lives, the mother and her developing fetus. Be aware of the anatomic and physiologic changes that occur during pregnancy and be able to take them into account in treating the injured pregnant patient while using the ABCs of trauma care. Particular emphasis must be placed on prevention of fetal anoxia by maintenance of the mother's respiratory status. Frequent blood gas measurements are required. A careful history of the course of the patient's present and previous gestational history will help the emergency room physician from arriving at erroneous conclusions regarding his patient's vital signs. Use diagnostic tests as indicated, but try to avoid or minimize the use of radiology in favor of ultrasonography. Obstetric consultation should be obtained as quickly as possible for the traumatized pregnant patient to help deal with the special bodily changes involved. Observance of the points covered in this article will bring about improved maternal and fetal survival in the traumatized patient.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D011248	Pregnancy Complications	Conditions or pathological processes associated with pregnancy. They can occur during or after pregnancy, and range from minor discomforts to serious diseases that require medical interventions. They include diseases in pregnant females, and pregnancies in females with diseases.	Adverse Birth Outcomes,Complications, Pregnancy,Adverse Birth Outcome,Birth Outcome, Adverse,Complication, Pregnancy,Outcome, Adverse Birth,Pregnancy Complication
D011261	Pregnancy Trimester, First	The beginning third of a human PREGNANCY, from the first day of the last normal menstrual period (MENSTRUATION) through the completion of 14 weeks (98 days) of gestation.	Early Placental Phase,Pregnancy, First Trimester,Trimester, First,Early Placental Phases,First Pregnancy Trimester,First Pregnancy Trimesters,First Trimester,First Trimester Pregnancies,First Trimester Pregnancy,First Trimesters,Phase, Early Placental,Phases, Early Placental,Placental Phase, Early,Placental Phases, Early,Pregnancies, First Trimester,Pregnancy Trimesters, First,Trimesters, First
D011262	Pregnancy Trimester, Second	The middle third of a human PREGNANCY, from the beginning of the 15th through the 28th completed week (99 to 196 days) of gestation.	Midtrimester,Pregnancy, Second Trimester,Trimester, Second,Midtrimesters,Pregnancies, Second Trimester,Pregnancy Trimesters, Second,Second Pregnancy Trimester,Second Pregnancy Trimesters,Second Trimester,Second Trimester Pregnancies,Second Trimester Pregnancy,Second Trimesters,Trimesters, Second
D011263	Pregnancy Trimester, Third	The last third of a human PREGNANCY, from the beginning of the 29th through the 42nd completed week (197 to 294 days) of gestation.	Pregnancy, Third Trimester,Trimester, Third,Last Trimester,Last Trimesters,Pregnancies, Third Trimester,Pregnancy Trimesters, Third,Third Pregnancy Trimester,Third Pregnancy Trimesters,Third Trimester,Third Trimester Pregnancies,Third Trimester Pregnancy,Third Trimesters,Trimester, Last,Trimesters, Last,Trimesters, Third
D004630	Emergencies	Situations or conditions requiring immediate intervention to avoid serious adverse results.	Emergency
D005260	Female		Females
D005311	Fetal Hypoxia	Deficient oxygenation of FETAL BLOOD.	Anoxia, Fetal,Fetal Anoxia,Hypoxia, Fetal
D005314	Embryonic and Fetal Development	Morphological and physiological development of EMBRYOS or FETUSES.	Embryo and Fetal Development,Prenatal Programming,Programming, Prenatal
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man