TY - JOUR
AU - Prys‐Roberts, C.
AB -  C . Prys-Roberts Maternal pulmonary function during early and late pregnancy has been widely studied 1, but maternal pulmonary gas exchange during labour has received little attention. The possible detrimental effects on the foetus of excessive maternal hyperventilation during labour has recently received widespread attentionzp 3,4, although contradictory evidence was advanced by Colemans. A wide range of arterial oxygen tensions has been reported during pregnancy, varying from 62mm Hg 6 to 97mm Hg 7, but reported values during labour have been in excess of 9Omm Hg 899. Continuous extradural blockade is a well recognised technique for obtaining maternal analgesia without foetal depression 10, although little attention has been paid to its influence on maternal ventilation and oxygenation, nor its effects on the foetus. The purposes of this study were, firstly, to define the physiological values of maternal blood gases and ventilatory indices during normal labour and during extradural blockade; secondly, to study the effect of extradural blockade on maternal hyperventilation during labour. METHODS The study was carried out during normal labour in 23 healthy women aged between 17 and 32. Twenty one of these patients were primigravida. Consent was obtained from each patient following a full explanation of 
TI - Maternal pulmonary gas exchange
JO - Anaesthesia
DO - 10.1111/j.1365-2044.1968.tb00079.x
DA - 1968-09-01
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/wiley/maternal-pulmonary-gas-exchange-zbhiNkltPC
SP - 350
VL - 23
IS - 3
DP - DeepDyve
ER -