Supplemental oxygen for caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia.

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Anesthesiology
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Routine administration of supplemental oxygen during Caesarean sections under spinal anaesthesia is increasingly questioned.
• Evidence is needed to support or refute this practice, especially in resource-limited settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the necessity of routine supplemental oxygen for healthy parturients undergoing Caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia.
• To determine the efficacy and potential adverse effects of administering oxygen at 4L/min in such cases.

Main Methods:

• A simple randomized trial was conducted using sealed envelopes.
• Seventy healthy parturients (ASA physical status I or II) undergoing Caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia were included.
• Arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) and Apgar scores were measured as primary outcomes.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in pre-induction SaO2 between groups.
• The control group (no supplemental oxygen) had higher mean SaO2 during surgery (95.9% +/- 1.5%) compared to the oxygen group (94.9% +/- 2.0%).
• Apgar scores for neonates were similar in both groups at one and five minutes.

Conclusions:

• Healthy parturients undergoing Caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia tolerate the procedure well without supplemental oxygen.
• Supplemental oxygen administration at 4L/min via a standard anesthetic facemask may lead to relative desaturation.