Continuous Non-invasive Blood Pressure Measurement in C-section

The caesarean section is a frequently performed procedure in obstetrics and accounts for about 30% of all births in Germany. 55% to 68% of all caesarean sections are performed under spinal anesthesia. A possible side effect of spinal anesthesia is arterial hypotension with a prevalence of 70% to 80%. A placental hypoperfusion in the context of a reduced preload due to hypotension can reduce the fetal outcome. Early diagnosis and treatment of the hypotensive episode could reduce and at best prevent increased fetal morbidity. Due to their invasiveness due to the necessity of puncturing a distal artery of the extremity and the insertion of a catheter, established continuous blood pressure measurement procedures have disadvantages such as potential circulatory disorders of the hand, infections, bleeding and thrombosis and are therefore often not indicated in the context of an elective sectio. Non-invasive procedures such as NIBP, however, are discontinuous and may make a timely diagnosis of hypotension more difficult and delay therapy. The ClearSightTM system, which allows a continuous non-invasive blood pressure measurement, has been used in hip and knee joint surgery. There, a good correlation with invasive blood pressure measurements was found, particularly with regard to systolic and mean arterial pressure. An application in obstetrics has not yet been investigated. Due to the continuous measurement provided by ClearSightTM, continuous monitoring of blood pressure appears to be ensured, so that a faster reaction to previously undetected fluctuations in blood pressure can be expected compared to interval measurement.