Anaesthesia for Caesarean section: a survey in a UK region from 1992 to 2002.
Data are presented for anaesthesia for Caesarean section (CS) in the South-west Thames region of the UK. The CS rate rose from 12.7% in 1987 to 24.2% in 2002. The rate of increase shows no sign of slowing. The rate of regional anaesthesia (RA) for elective CS rose from 69.4% in 1992 to 94.9% in 2002, when spinal anaesthesia was used for 86.6% of cases. This may limit the opportunities to teach other anaesthetic techniques. The rate of RA for emergency CS rose from 49.3% in 1992 to 86.7% in 2002. There is an unacceptable rate of failure of RA for both elective and emergency CS, 1.3% of RAs for elective CS and 4.9% of RAs for emergency CS were converted to general anaesthesia.
Jenkins
J G
JG
Department of Anaesthesia, Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XX, UK. garethjenkins@doctors.org.uk
Khan
M M
MM
D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D000773:Anesthesia, Obstetrical / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D000775:Anesthesia, Spinal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004630:Emergencies; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy