Prophylactic Ephedrine to Prevent Post Spinal Hypotension Following Spinal Anesthesia in Elective Caesarean Section

Abstract

The use of spinal anaesthetic is prevalent in the context of caesarean births. Hypotension often occurs as a prevalent clinical issue after the administration of spinal anaesthetic for the purpose of caesarean birth. The present research was conducted at AL Zahra teaching hospital, which is affiliated with the Wasit Health Department in Kut, Iraq, spanning from the 2nd of January 2021 to the 20th of April 2021. A total of sixty participants were included in the present investigation. Participants were divided into two groups, each group consisting of thirty individuals. Patients were categorized into two groups: the prophylactic group (Group 1) and nonprophylactic (Group 2), according to the independent judgment of competent anesthetists. The individuals who received a preventive dosage of 6 mg of ephedrine during the initiation of spinal anesthesia were categorized as the prophylactic cohort, specifically referred to as Group 1. In this study, the nonprophylactic group was operationally defined as the specific group of patients who did not receive any prophylactic vasopressor during the administration of spinal anesthesia, specifically referred to as Group 2. The administration of spinal anesthesia is performed via aseptic method.

The initial value for this study was established by computing the mean values of noninvasive blood pressure and heart rate at multiple time intervals: prior to induction, during induction, 5 minutes post-induction, 10 minutes post-induction, and 15 minutes post-induction. The collected samples underwent statistical analysis.

The results showed that hypotension occurred more often in women who did not receive prophylactic ephedrine compared to those who did. Patients who were given ephedrine prophylactically had more consistent blood pressure readings than those who were not. The heart rates of those taking preventative measures also increased significantly.