J. Ramana Prasad1, G. Grace Priyanka2
Caesarean section is considered as a major abdominal surgery, which requires profound blockade of spinal segments. Spinal anaesthesia is the most elegant approach providing profound anaesthesia and excellent operative conditions. Hypotension, the most clinically significant effect of spinal anaesthesia can occur rapidly and have a significant impact on neonatal outcome. There has been interest in using analgesic additives to local anaesthetics to decrease the dose of local anaesthetics and reduce in incidence of hypotension without compromising intra-operative analgesia, enabling faster motor recovery and providing efficient post-operative analgesia. This study was conducted to compare the incidence of hypotension between intrathecal fentanyl-bupivacaine combinations with bupivacaine alone in patients undergoing elective LSCS. INTRODUCTION: In Caesarean section, the surgery is major and profound blockade of many spinal segments is required. Strong visceral stimulation is present, sudden cardiovascular changes is compounded by posture and fetal wellbeing may be influenced by several physiologic variables and drugs. Spinal anaesthesia is perhaps the most efficient and elegant approach to this challenge. With a small needle and little amount of drug, profound anaesthesia and excellent operating conditions can be readily provided for this major intrabdominal surgery. Spinal hypotension, the most clinically significant aspect of spinal anaesthesia can occur rapidly and may have a significant impact on the neonatal outcome. Recently, there has been an interest in using analgesic additives to subarachnoid local anaesthetic dose so as to reduce the incidence and degree of hypotension but at the same time without compromising intraoperative analgesia and also to enable faster recovery and providing efficient post-operative analgesia.
