Type of anesthesia affects neonatal wellbeing and frequency of transient tachypnea in elective cesarean sections.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to assess whether the type of anesthesia in cesarean section (C/S) (spinal anesthesia, SA versus general anesthesia, GA) has an effect or not on umblical vein blood gas analysis and APGAR scores of term neonates and development of transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN).


METHODS
The data of 172 procedure (85, GA versus 87, SA) were collected retrospectively. Results of umblical vein blood gas analysis, APGAR scores at first and fifth minutes and presence of TTN from in-hospital files' of neonates were examined.


RESULTS
Neonates in the SA group had significantly higher first and fifth minute APGAR scores (8, 7 versus 9, 2, p < 0.001 and 9, 3 versus 10, 2, p = 0.017, respectively). The pH value of umblical vein samples were higher (7.30 ± 0.05 versus 7.32 ± 0.05, p = 0.029) and pO2 and SaO2 levels were significantly lower in the SA group (34.8 ± 13.8 mmHg versus 27.6 ± 14.5 mmHg; p = 0.001 and 56.6% ± 18.7 versus 49.8% ± 21.4; p = 0.029, respectively) as compared to the GA group. Thirteen neonates in the GA group (15.3%) and five in the SA group (5.7%) were diagnosed as TTN (p = 0.048).


CONCLUSIONS
In our study, considerable determinants of fetal wellbeing was stated to be higher in C/S performed under SA in comparison to GA. Furthermore, our findings favor SA for avoidance of TTN.
Department of Anesthesiology, Yedikule Pulmonary Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Research Hospital , Istanbul , Turkey .
Derya
D
Ozden Omaygenc
Tugba
T
Dogu
Mehmet Onur
MO
Omaygenc
Ferda
F
Ozmen
Merih Dilan
MD
Albayrak
Gamze
G
Babur Guler
Emel
E
Kocer Gur
Ecder
E
Ozenc
D000328:Adult; D000773:Anesthesia, Obstetrical / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D001034:Apgar Score; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D000068104:Infant Health; D007229:Infant Welfare; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D059245:Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn / Q000453:epidemiology*
Cesarean section; spinal anesthesia; transient tachypnea of newborn