CPR On Pregnant Women

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, commonly known as CPR is an emergency medical procedure performed on some who has had a cardiac arrest. CPR manually restores the functions of the brain, and measures are taken to ensure that the breathing and blood circulation in the patient is resumed to normal levels. CPR is administered in patients whose breathing is abnormal, or who are unresponsive and not breathing.

CPR During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a stressful journey for many, and complications just make it worse. Hemorrhage, infections, and pregnancy induced hypertension are some of the conditions that can make a pregnant woman suffer a cardiac arrest. This life threatening condition can occur anytime during pregnancy, labor and delivery, or depressed post partum period. In such a case, a CPR under able medical team and with necessary precautions is performed on a pregnant woman, to resuscitate and minimise dangers to two lives.

What Can Cause The Need For CPR in Pregnant Women?

To accommodate the growing baby, a woman’s body undergoes multiple changes from time to time. Understanding the physiological can help responding effectively to resuscitate.

Physiological Stressors During Pregnancy

1. Uterine Changes: The most dramatic changes happening in a pregnant woman’s body are in the uterus. Just after the first trimester the uterus grows large enough to move into the abdominal cavity and also displaces the other organs in the abdomen – like the lungs, intestines, and the stomach
2. Gastrointestinal Changes: Constipation, heartburn, acidity, etc are common problems of pregnant woman. Pregnancy hormones relax the muscles resulting in slower movement of the intestinal produce and relax the cardiac sphincter between the esophagus and the stomach. Acidic contents of the stomach can cause damage to the lung tissues, making a pregnant woman feel full in the stomach all the time and put her at the risk of aspiration
3. Respiratory Changes: Oxygen is required by the growing fetus to develop. Oxygen requirements of both the mother and the baby increase and this causes slight increment in the respiratory rate of a pregnant woman. The consumption of oxygen by a pregnant woman goes up by 20%. Additionally, a pregnant woman’s diaphragm gets displaced to make way for the growing fetus. This makes the pregnant women breathe more rapidly, and sometimes a slight respiratory distress in pregnancy can cause a dramatic result
4. Cardiovascular Changes: Pregnancy causes physiological anemia due to increased blood volume but not corresponding to the red cell volume. Where the blood volume goes up by 50%, red cell volume goes up only by 30%. A pregnant woman’s heart rate increases by 15%, and her cardiac output by 35% – 40% in order to move that increased volume

Owing to these pregnancy changes in a woman, in the event of a cardiac arrest, her medical history and a team of highly qualified members make all the difference. The survival of the mother and infant is dependent on all these factors.

CPR Instructions for Pregnant Women

In case you know someone close who is pregnant and also suffers from pregnancy-induced-hypertension, it is wise to know how to keep up with the oxygen supply for both the mother and the baby(ies) until medical help arrives. Husbands should definitely know about administering a CPR on their pregnant wives, if such a need arises.