Anaesthetic management of parturients with the antiphospholipid syndrome: a review of 27 cases.

A description of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and associated maternal and fetal complications is presented along with a review of the management at National Women's Hospital (NWH), Auckland, of 27 pregnancies complicated by APS. Because the obstetric outcome for parturients with APS continues to improve, anaesthetists are more likely to become involved in their management. It is recommended that policies and protocols are implemented to avoid unnecessary denial of regional anaesthesia arising from confusion about any parturients anticoagulation status.