Effects of Sedation on Spinal Anesthesia-induced Maternal Hypotension

Background: This study was designed to investigate the effect of sedation on the occurrence of maternal hypotension in preoperatively anxious parturients undergoing urgent category-1 Cesarean section (C/S) under spinal anesthesia. Methods: After institutional ethics committee approval, prospectively collected data of 1824 parturients undergoing C/S were reviewed. Parturients with high preoperative anxiety scores (visual analogue scale for anxiety (VAS-A)≥70) undergoing C/S under spinal anesthesia with thiopental (Group S=49) and without any other type of sedation (Group NS=53) were included in the analysis. Hemodynamic parameters were documented and maximum systolic arterial pressure (SAP) reductions from the baseline after spinal anesthesia were calculated. Incidences of hypotension (SAP≥30% decrease from baseline or \<100 mmHg) and bradycardia (HR\<55 beats/min), and related-ephedrine and -atropine requirements were noted. Our primary endpoint was to compare the maximum SAP reductions from the baseline values in Groups S and NS. Secondary endpoints were incidences of hypotension and bradycardia, required ephedrine and atropine doses, newborn Apgar scores at 1st and 5th min.