General Anesthesia

While the number of cesarean deliveries performed under general anesthesia has decreased remarkably in the last 50 years in favor of neuraxial anesthetics, an understanding of the principles surrounding the use of general anesthesia is still critical for those who participate in the care of pregnant women. The use of general anesthetic agents can impact both the mother and fetus during general anesthesia. In this chapter, you will test your understanding of inhalational anesthetics, their use in pregnancy, indications for inhaled anesthetics, and strategies for the administration of these agents.