Aortocaval compression
Compression of the inferior vena cava and sometimes the aorta by the gravid uterus, especially when the patient is supine, reducing venous return and uteroplacental perfusion.
Clinical language
Glossary
Definitions will be reused as tooltips and chapter references throughout the site.
Cardiac output
The volume of blood pumped by the heart each minute; heart rate multiplied by stroke volume.
Fetal heart rate
The fetal cardiac rate assessed by Doppler or electronic fetal monitoring.
Functional residual capacity
The volume of air remaining in the lungs after a normal passive exhalation; it decreases during pregnancy.
GTPAL
A pregnancy-history system: gravida, term births, preterm births, abortions, and living children.
Physiologic anemia
The normal dilutional decrease in hemoglobin concentration caused by plasma volume increasing more than red-cell mass.
Systemic vascular resistance
The resistance the left ventricle must overcome to eject blood into the systemic circulation; it normally falls during pregnancy.
Uteroplacental perfusion
Maternal blood flow through the uterus and placenta that supports fetal gas and nutrient exchange.
Variability
Beat-to-beat fluctuations around the fetal heart-rate baseline, used as one indicator of fetal neurologic and oxygenation status.
Waveform capnography
Continuous graphical display of exhaled carbon dioxide used to assess ventilation and confirm airway placement.
Fibrinogen
A soluble coagulation protein converted to fibrin; normally elevated in pregnancy and often falls during severe obstetric hemorrhage.
Protein-to-creatinine ratio
A spot urine comparison used to estimate protein excretion; a ratio of 0.3 or greater supports significant proteinuria in preeclampsia evaluation.
Kleihauer-Betke test
An acid-elution test used to estimate fetal red cells in maternal blood and quantify fetomaternal hemorrhage.
Point-of-care ultrasound
Focused bedside ultrasonography used to answer defined clinical questions within the operator's training and scope.
Pregnancy and Lactation Labeling Rule
FDA narrative labeling framework covering pregnancy, lactation, and reproductive potential; it replaced the former A/B/C/D/X categories.
Volume of distribution
The apparent space into which a drug distributes; pregnancy can change it through increased plasma volume, total body water, and fat.
Placental transfer
Movement of medication or other substances from maternal to fetal circulation across the placenta.
Therapeutic index
The relationship between effective and toxic concentrations; a narrow therapeutic index requires close monitoring.
Toxidrome
A recognizable pattern of clinical findings produced by a class of toxins, used to guide stabilization before confirmatory testing.
Naloxone
An opioid antagonist used to reverse opioid-induced respiratory depression.
Medication treatment for opioid use disorder
Evidence-based treatment using medications such as methadone or buprenorphine with coordinated clinical support.
Decision-making capacity
A patient’s ability to communicate a choice, understand information, appreciate its personal consequences, and reason about options.
Informed refusal
A capable patient’s decision to decline recommended care after receiving relevant risks, benefits, alternatives, and consequences.
Appropriate transfer
A coordinated transfer that includes risk-benefit determination or patient request, receiving acceptance, records, qualified personnel, equipment, and reasonable stabilization.
Safe apnea time
The interval between cessation of ventilation and clinically important oxygen desaturation; it is shortened in pregnancy.
Apneic oxygenation
Delivery of oxygen during apnea to slow desaturation; it does not replace ventilation.
Cannot intubate, cannot oxygenate
A life-threatening airway emergency requiring immediate rescue oxygenation and emergency front-of-neck access when noninvasive methods fail.
Rapid sequence induction
Use of a sedative-hypnotic and neuromuscular blocker to facilitate tracheal intubation while minimizing delay.
Predicted body weight
A height- and sex-based estimate used to select lung-protective tidal volume; it does not include pregnancy weight gain.
Plateau pressure
Airway pressure measured during an inspiratory pause that estimates alveolar pressure and respiratory-system compliance.
Auto-PEEP
Positive end-expiratory pressure caused by incomplete exhalation and dynamic hyperinflation.
DOPES
A troubleshooting mnemonic: displacement, obstruction, pneumothorax, equipment failure, and stacking or auto-PEEP.
Pretest item
An unscored examination item used for test development; it is not identified to the candidate.
Modified-Angoff method
A standard-setting method in which subject-matter experts estimate the performance of a minimally qualified candidate.
Priority error
Selecting a reasonable action that is not the first, safest, or most urgent action requested by the question.
Spaced retrieval
Repeating active recall after delays to strengthen durable memory and transfer.