TRAUMA AND PREGNANCY

An exhaustive review of the care of the pregnant trauma patient would fill a book. Nevertheless, an understanding of the normal physiologic changes of pregnancy is virtually all there is to go on except in a few special situations such as listed above. Close communication with critical care, surgical and obstetrical colleagues are essential. This is certainly a clinical situation where a truly multi-disciplinary approach brings positive results. With this is mind it should be possible to confidently care for these special patients. Trauma during pregnancy has presented very unique challenges over the centuries. From the first report of Ambrose Pare of a gunshot wound to the uterus in the 1600 s to the present, there have existed controversies and inconsistencies in diagnosis, management, prognostics and outcome. Anxiety is heightened by the addition of another, smaller patient.