Comparison of Maternal and Fetal Complications in Relation to General Anaesthesia vs Spinal Anaesthesia During Caesarean Section

Abstract

Background: Anesthesia is needed to ensure both maternal and fetal safety during cesarean sections. General anesthesia can be used for the rapid procedure in obstetric emergencies while regional anesthesia can be used for cesarean section due to its effectiveness.Objective: The objective of this study was to compare intra-operative and postoperative maternal and fetal complications with general and spinal anesthesia during cesarean section.Material and Methods:  A total of 100 patients admitted for cesarean sections were included in this study and categorized into two groups (50 each) based on the anesthesia used either general or spinal anesthesia. All the demographic data, type of anesthesia, and post-anesthesia complications were determined. Results: A total of hundred patients were included and categorized into two (GA and SA) equal groups of 50 patients each. The mean age of the General anesthesia group was 29.9±3.8 while the spinal anesthesia group's mean age was 29.8±3.0. Parity was 1.6±0.7 and 1.9±0.7 in the general anesthesia and spinal anesthesia group respectively. The preoperative hemoglobin and hematocrit values were insignificant with p=0.257 and p=0.165 respectively. 24 hours after the operation were significantly lower in the general anesthesia group than in the spinal anesthesia group (P <0.001 and P=0.004, respectively). The proportion of newborns with 5th-min Apgar scores < 7 was not significantly different between the two groups, although the general anesthesia group had a significantly larger proportion of newborns with 1-min Apgar scores <7 than the spinal anesthesia group P=<0.001). Keywords: General anesthesia, Spinal anesthesia, Caesarean section, Apgar score.