[General anaesthesia is used too frequently for caesarean section]

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Anesthesiology
• Public Health

Background:

• General anesthesia (GA) for caesarean section (CS) is associated with increased maternal risks compared to regional anesthesia (RA).
• Guidelines suggest that at least 85% of acute CS procedures should be performed under RA.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the adherence of anesthesiologists at a Danish university hospital to the recommended 85% RA rate for CS over a 4.5-year period.
• To assess the frequency of GA use in CS procedures.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of CS anesthesia records at a Danish university hospital.
• Data collected over a 4.5-year period.
• Calculation of individual anesthesiologist's GA rates for CS.

Main Results:

• Out of 27 anesthesiologists, only five (18.5%) administered GA at a rate below 15%.
• The overall rate of RA for CS at the hospital was consistently above 85% during the study period.
• Routine anesthesia practice for CS appears to maintain high RA utilization.

Conclusions:

• Anesthesiologists at the studied Danish university hospital generally adhere to the recommendation of performing over 85% of acute CS under RA.
• Further investigation is needed to confirm if GA for CS is utilized strictly according to clinical recommendations and guidelines.