[Obstetric anesthesia in Catalonia, Spain].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this arm of the ANESCAT 2003 study was to describe obstetric anesthesia and analgesia practice in Catalonia, Spain.


METHODS
Using information obtained from a survey of anesthesia performed in Catalonia in 2003, data was identified on anesthesia for obstetric procedures: labor, cesarean section, and others unrelated to childbirth. Patient characteristics were analyzed along with anesthetic techniques and the rates at which they are used in the population.


RESULTS
Obstetric procedures were performed in 71 hospitals (54% of the hospitals surveyed). Obstetric anesthesia represented 11.3% of total anesthesia practice, corresponding to an estimated 67,864 anesthetic procedures per year. Of those procedures, 87.7% were associated with labor and childbirth. An estimated 82% of the 71,851 births in Catalonia were assisted by an anesthesiologist. Cesarean sections accounted for 25.1% of births and the rate increased with age. Regional anesthesia for labor and cesarean section was used in 98.7% and 96.2% of cases, respectively. Epidural anesthesia was used in 96.9% of vaginal births. In elective and emergency cesarean sections, spinal block was used in 75.5% and 44.8% of cases, respectively, while epidural anesthesia was used in 23.3% and 53.3%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The anesthesia coverage for labor in Catalonia is the highest published. The use of regional anesthetic techniques in Catalonia is also the highest recorded. Although continuous epidural anesthesia is the most widely used technique, spinal block is also increasingly employed.
Sabaté
Sergi
S
Servicio de Anestesiología, Fundació Puigvert, Cartagena 340, Barcelona, Spain. 29285sst@comb.es
Gomar
Carmen
C
Canet
Jaume
J
Fernández
Carmen
C
Fernández
Marisol
M
Fuentes
Albert
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015360:Analgesia, Epidural / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016362:Analgesia, Obstetrical / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000773:Anesthesia, Obstetrical / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000775:Anesthesia, Spinal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012494:Sampling Studies; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016526:Workload / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult