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Respiratory physiologic changes in pregnancy

Robert A Wise1, Albert J Polito, Vidya Krishnan

  • 1Department of Medicine (Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5501 Hopkins Bayview Circle, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. rwise@jhmi.edu

Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America
|January 31, 2006
PubMed

In summary, the major physiologic changes that occur in pregnancy are the increased minute ventilation, which is caused by increased respiratory center sensitivity and drive; a compensated respiratory alkalosis; and a low expiratory reserve volume. The vital capacity and measures of forced expiration are well preserved. Patients who have many lung diseases tolerate pregnancy well, with the exception of those who have pulmonary hypertension or chronic respiratory insufficiency from parenchymal or neuromuscular disease.

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