Anaesthesia | Obstetrics | Pharmacological Changes During Pregnancy

Pharmacological Changes During Pregnancy
Session overview
Description
An introduction to pregnancy associated changes in pharmacology and the effects of drugs upon the uterus and fetus.

Learning objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Relate the physiological changes of pregnancy to alterations in pharmacokinetics
• Summarize the factors governing trans-placental transfer of drugs

Prerequisites
Before commencing this session you should:
Complete the pharmacology sessions in the basic sciences block in order to:

• Describe the principles of pharmacokinetics and drug distribution
• List the pharmacology of all drugs routinely used in general and regional anaesthesia

Complete the previous session in this block and so understand the physiological changes of pregnancy.

Over the course of this session you will learn about:

• How the physiological changes of pregnancy alter drug handling
• The mechanisms of placental drug transfer and how this may affect the fetus