**5. Conclusion**

Although the use of general anesthesia (GA) has been largely replaced by neuraxial anesthesia, in certain obstetric situations, GA is preferred. Advantages include rapid control of the airway and ventilation, improved hemodynamic control, and speed of onset. While maternal mortality associated with GA has decreased substantially, deaths from difficult airway in GA are still reported and are higher in obstetric patients compared with the general population. One of the leading causes of airwayrelated death during obstetric GA is difficult and failed intubation. The significant

*Difficult Airway in Obstetric Patients DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108341*

anatomic and physiologic changes of pregnancy have been considered to explain the increased difficulty in airway management in obstetric patients. Airway mucosal edema, capillary swelling, decreased functional residual capacity, and increased oxygen consumption during pregnancy have been shown to cause difficult airway in obstetric patients. In addition, gastroesophageal changes during pregnancy, such as decreased lower esophageal sphincter muscle competence, increased gastric pressure, and prolonged gastric emptying, are associated with an increased risk of pulmonary aspiration in pregnant women. These changes may be further exacerbated during labor; therefore, some modifications are needed in the obstetric airway management. These modifications include using certain specific equipment, administering additional premedication, performing additional procedures, and using different airway management algorithms. Therefore, it is necessary to have adequate knowledge regarding the management of difficult airways in obstetrics to prevent future airwayrelated mortality and morbidity of mothers and neonates.
