ABSTRACT
Maternal cardiac arrest may result from any of the factors associated with adult cardiac arrest. Conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is inherently inefficient with respect to generating cardiac output, and that is without the additional challenges imposed by pregnancy. The International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation guidelines, however, differ from most others, stating that there is inadequate evidence to make a recommendation about left lateral tilt or uterine displacement during CPR in a pregnant patient. The fetus is clearly at risk of injury and/or death when uteroplacental blood flow is interrupted; however, maternal CPR takes precedence and delivery is advisable as a resuscitative measure for the mother. The airway must be kept open during CPR either with head-tilt chin-lift, or jaw-thrust maneuver, or with the use of an oral airway; nasal airways are avoided in pregnancy because of edema and friability of nasal mucosa.
