Advances in health care have resulted in an aging population with multiple health problems. During pregnancy, maternal age alone is a known independent risk factor. Therefore, pregnancies during higher age with comorbidities are high-risk pregnancies. Despite significant improvements in the availability and quality of obstetric health care, maternal morbidity and pregnancy-related mortality rates have increased over the years in the United States (Obstet Gynecol 2019;134:883; asamonitor.pub/3KQTwl7). Even for experienced anesthesiologists, caring for these high-risk obstetric patients is challenging because of their comorbidities.
High-risk pregnancy involves any condition or situation that leads to increased risk of morbidity and mortality for the mother or her offspring. With such a broad definition, it is not surprising that the qualifying criteria for high-risk pregnancy differs greatly between studies (Obstet Gynecol 1987;69:951-64; CURRENT Diagnosis & Treatment: Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2013). Pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia, diabetes, premature labor, multiple pregnancy,...
