Critical Care In Childbearing For Midwives

Many women who have higher-risk pregnancies, complications or medical conditions require specialist obstetric or multidisciplinary care. Increasingly women, whose condition deteriorates and becomes critical during childbirth, are being cared for by midwives in obstetric high dependency units within the labour ward, rather than being cared for by nurses in ITU.

Critical Care in Childbearing for Midwives explores all aspects of management, support and care of childbearing women who become critically ill due to pre-existing conditions or who develop critical illness as a result of complications of childbearing. It examines predisposing factors which result in the need for critical care, addresses specialist monitoring technology and skills, and explores autonomous practice and team approaches to providing care for critically ill women in childbearing.

Defining critical care, Midwives caring for critically ill women, Critical care in childbearing for midwives.

Chapter 2. A team approach to providing care for the critically ill woman.

Rationale behind a midwifery high dependency team, Setting up a midwifery high dependency team, Does a midwifery high dependency team make a difference?, Conclusion.

Chapter 3. Autonomous practice: a critical investigation.

What is autonomy?, Promoting autonomy in maternity care, Professional autonomy, Conclusion.

Chapter 4. Medical disorders and the critically ill woman.

Cardiac disorders, Respiratory disorders, Renal disorders, Hepatic disorders, Diabetes mellitus, Thyroid disease, Connective tissue disorders, Epilepsy.

Chapter 5. Haematological disorders and the critically ill woman.

Part 1: Haemoglobinopathies, Sickle Cell Disease, Thalassaemia Condition, The midwife's role in the management of haemoglobinopathies.

Part 2: Thromboembolism in pregnancy, Conclusion.

Chapter 6. Hypertensive disorders and the critically ill woman.

Pre-eclampsia, Eclampsia, HELLP Syndrome, Conclusion.

Chapter 7. Haemorrhagic disorders and the critically ill woman.

Background, Aetiology / physiopathology, Predisposing / risk factors, Clinical presentation, Care and management, Complications, Midwifery care.

Chapter 8. Shock and the critically ill woman:.

Introduction, The three phases of shock: an overview, General considerations in the assessment of shock, Hypovolaemic shock, Cardiogenic shock, Neurogenic shock, Anaphylactic shock, Septic shock.

Chapter 9. Fluid balance and management for the critically ill woman.

Introduction, The process of normal fluid balance, Effective fluid balance in critically ill women, Fluid management, Summary.

Chapter 10. Specialist monitoring technology and skills for the critically ill woman.

Introduction, Oxygen saturation: pulse oximetry, Electrocardiograms, Non-invasive blood pressure monitoring, Peripheral venous cannulation, Arterial cannulation, Central venous cannulation and central venous pressure monitoring, Pulmonary artery pressure monitoring, Conclusion.

Chapter 11. Anaesthesia and resuscitation of the critically ill woman.

Part 1: Anaesthesia, Introduction, Implications of physiological changes of pregnancy, Care and preparation, Post-anaesthesic complications,.

Part 2: Resuscitation, Introduction, Effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Emergency caesarean section, Advance life support, Drugs used during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Training needs, Presence of relatives.

Chapter 12. Pain management of the critically ill woman.

Introduction, Normal physiology, Critically ill women and pain, Pharmacology, Management of pain, Role of the carer, Conclusion.

Chapter 13. Transfer and admission to the intensive treatment unit of the critically ill woman.

Identifying the deteriorating client and obstetric emergencies, Guidelines for transfer to ITU, Immediate preparation prior to transfer, Intradepartmental transfers, Acute respiratory distress syndrome, Conclusion.

Chapter 14. Psychological needs and care of the critically ill woman Introduction, Care in pregnancy, Crisis care, Immediate post-crisi care, Infant feeding and care, Care of the critically ill woman's family, Neonatal loss, Psychological debriefing, On-going emotional support, Care of midwives, Practice check