Pregnancy is associated with significant cardiorespiratory physiological changes that
impact the assessment and management of respiratory disease in these patients. Structural
changes to the chest wall affect lung volumes, most notable being through a reduction
in the functional residual capacity. More significant are hormonally mediated functional
changes that produce an increased minute ventilation and a compensated respiratory
alkalosis. Cardiac function changes dramatically as pregnancy progresses, with an
increase in circulating blood volume and a marked increase cardiac output. Associated
with these are structural cardiac changes, including an increase in left ventricular
mass. This article reviews the effects of pregnancy on maternal physiology and highlights
some clinical implications of these changes.
pregnancy - physiology - hemodynamics - respiratory function tests
