The Impact of Anesthesia Type During Cesarean Section on Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes at Fakeeh Hospital

Abstract

The World Health Organization has highlighted the importance
of improving maternal and neonatal health. Their health could
be affected by the anesthesia type given during cesarean
section. The study aim is to assess the effect of spinal and
general anesthesia on maternal and neonatal outcomes during
elective cesarean section. Quantitative observational study
was conducted at Fakeeh hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. 295
participants were included to spinal anesthesia group (n = 285)
and general anesthesia (n = 10). A purposeful sampling was used
to invite the study participants and structured questionnaire
was developed to assess the impact of anesthesia type during
cesarean section. The study results provide evidence that spinal
anesthesia is more practiced in healthcare settings compared to
general anesthesia. The results also showed an effect of general
anesthesia on maternal outcomes in which mothers had more
intra-operative blood loss, tachycardia, request for analgesia in
a short period and neonatal outcomes as low first minute Apgar
scores, low skin to skin contact, and low breast-feeding rates.
In conclusion, spinal anesthesia was the method of choice in
elective cesarean section due to its benefits for both mother and
newborn.