WOCCS survey
Investigators:
Anna Stout (Scotland)
Stephen Lapinsky (Canada)
Daniela Vasquez (Argentina)
Steve Cantellow (England)
Overview:
This project aims to survey critical care and obstetric physicians to identify knowledge gaps and differences in care of critically ill obstetric patients, to direct further research.
We will use clinical case presentations to survey clinicians to identify, for example, oxygen and CO2 targets when managing ventilated pregnant patients, to identify drug therapy used, and indications for delivery in the critically ill.
Case presentations will be developed by these investigations, and reviewed by the larger WOCCS group for feedback, suggestions, corrections and the development of further cases. A clear protocol for the survey methodology and analysis will be developed by the WOCCS group.
We then aim to survey a large group of clinicians in the following fields:
- Critical Care: e.g. CCCS (Canada), SCCM (USA), ANZICS (Australi/NZ), SATI (Argentina), SMACC (Scotland)
- Obstetric anesthesia: SOAP, OAA
- MFM: SMFM
- Obstetric Medicine: ISOM (international), MOMS (UK), NASOM (North America). SOMANZ (Australia/NZ), SOOMSA (South Africa), JSOM (Japan)
Blood gas targets in pregnancy – a scoping review
Pregnancy leads to significant physiological changes in maternal respiratory and acid-base status. Despite their clinical importance, normative values and pathological changes in arterial and venous blood gases during pregnancy are inconsistently reported in the literature, especially in conditions such as preeclampsia, sepsis, or high-altitude exposure.
Objective:
This scoping review aims to map and synthesize the existing evidence on maternal arterial and venous blood gas values—focusing on parameters such as pH, PaCO₂, HCO₃⁻, base excess, PaO₂, SaO₂, and lactate—across normal pregnancy and in key obstetric complications.
Methods:
Following JBI guidelines, we will conduct a comprehensive literature search from 1923 to 2025 across major databases,including MEDLINE, EMBASE, and LILACS, as well as grey literature sources. We will consider all study designs, including case series and physiological experiments, to capture valuable but fragmented data. Studies published in English, Chinese, or Spanish that report maternal blood gas values will be eligible.
Outcomes and Dissemination:
Results will be presented using descriptive summaries, tables, and visual maps, stratified by gestational age, condition, and setting (e.g., altitude). This review will inform the development of evidence-based clinical guidance on blood gas interpretation during pregnancy. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conferences, and WOCCS collaborative platforms.
Review Leads:
Jose Rojas-Suarez, Carmelo Dueñas-Castell, Stephen Lapinsky, Jose Correa, Javier Polo, Wendy Pollock, Daniela Vasquez, Ivan D. Florez
Registration:
The protocol will be accessible through the Open Science Framework (OSF).