Spinal anesthesia-induced hypotension: is it more than just a pesky nuisance?

Spinal hypotension in obstetrics: Context-sensitive prevention and management

Spinal hypotension during caesarean section remains a common complication, with important attendant maternal and fetal adverse outcomes. Research elucidating the mechanisms of spinal hypotension has led to the development and refinement of effective management strategies, with a particular emphasis on prophylactic vasopressor administration. This has proved effective in well-resourced settings, with maternal comfort and the elimination of nausea now considered the primary aim of treatment. In resource-limited settings, sophisticated strategies are not feasible due to insufficient equipment, staff, and expertise. Therefore, in these areas spinal hypotension remains an important cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Translational, context-sensitive research in resource-limited settings has shown promise in implementing pragmatic strategies based on research from resource-rich environments. We review the current best practice for the prevention and treatment of spinal hypotension, with a special emphasis on effective strategies in resource-limited settings. We further suggest a research agenda to address the knowledge gap in specific contexts.

Analysis of Risk Factors for Intraoperative Hypotension in Cesarean Section and Poor Prognosis of Neonates

Objective

To analyze the risk factors of intraoperative hypotension in cesarean section women and poor prognosis of neonates.

Methods

The clinical data of 1071 cesarean section women admitted to The Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2021 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into hypotension group (n = 472) and normal control group (n = 599) according to whether there was hypotension during operation. The correlations between the clinical data of cesarean section and the occurrence of intraoperative hypotension and poor prognosis of neonates were analyzed by logistic regression analysis. Receiver operating curve (ROC) was drawn and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated.

Results

Logistic regression analysis results showed that BMI ≥30 kg/m2, infant weight ≥3500 g, spinal anesthesia, puncture site L2-3, bupivacaine dose>10 mg, ropivacaine dose>50 mg, and perfusion index≥4 were the risk factor for intraoperative hypotension in cesarean section (p < 0.01) and BMI ≥30 kg/m2, umbilical cord around neck, spinal anesthesia, and perfusion index≥4 were risk factors for poor prognosis of neonates (p < 0.01). The AUC of ROC for BMI to diagnose intraoperative hypotension in cesarean section women was 0.6240 (95% CI: 0.59-0.66, p < 0.01), the sensitivity was only 30.20% (95% CI: 26.73%-35.02%), and the specificity was 87.65% (84.77%-90.04%), and the AUC of BMI for the diagnosis of poor prognosis of neonates was 0.5647 (95% CI: 0.5013-0.6280, p = 0.049), and the sensitivity was 51.19% (95% CI: 40.69%-61.59%), and the specificity was 64.34% (61.30%-67.26%). The AUC of perfusion index for the diagnosis of intraoperative hypotension in cesarean section women was 0.8333 (95% CI: 0.8081-0.8584, p < 0.01), the sensitivity was 94.49% (95% CI: 92.05%-96.21%), and the specificity was 73.12% (69.43%-76.52%); the AUC of perfusion index for the diagnosis of ROC with poor prognosis of neonates was 0.6164 (95% CI: 0.5538-0.6791, p < 0.01), the sensitivity was 70.24% (95% CI: 59.75%-78.96%), and the specificity was 50.86% (47.75%-53.97%).

Conclusion

The prediction model established by BMI, infant weight, anesthesia method, puncture site, anesthetic drug dose, and perfusion index has guiding value for clinical prediction of cesarean section maternal hypotension. The prediction model established by BMI, umbilical cord around neck, anesthesia method, and perfusion index has guiding value for clinical prediction of poor prognosis of neonates.