Comparison of general anaesthesia and spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section in Antigua and Barbuda

Regional anaesthesia has become the anaesthetic of choice for Caesarean section (CS) in developed countries, with use extended to smaller, less developed countries in the past decade. This study is a comparison of maternal and neonatal outcomes comparing general anaesthesia (GA) and the early experience with spinal anaesthesia (SA) for CS in Antigua and Barbuda. Data obtained included maternal age, gravidity, parity, indication for operation, emergent versus routine operation and type of anaesthesia used. Outcome data comprised estimated blood loss, transfusion requirement, length of stay, postoperative wound infection for mothers. Data obtained for babies included birthweight, one and five minute Apgar scores, neonatal special care unit admission or perinatal death. The sample population included 103 CS patients who underwent GA and 45 who underwent SA. There was no difference in age (mean 29.3 vs 29.4 years), gravidity (mean 3.25 vs 3.27), parity (mean 1.74 vs 1.56) or emergency vs routine CS (44.4% vs 49.5%). Mothers who underwent GA had significantly greater estimated blood loss (mean 787 vs 632 mL, p < 0. 02) and rate of transfusion (13.6% vs 2.2%, p < 0. 05). There was a trend toward longer hospital stay (mean 6.86 vs 6.42 days, p = 0. 16) but a lower rate of postoperative wound infection (8.7% vs 20%, p < 0. 10) for mothers who underwent GA. There were no maternal deaths. Babies demonstrated no difference in birthweight (mean 3238 vs 3258 g) but those born to mothers who underwent GA had significantly lower one minute (mean 6.84 vs 8.17, p < 0.0001) and five minute (mean 8.13 vs 8.91, p < 0.001) Apgar scores, with a trend toward more frequent neonatal special care unit admission (26.2% vs 17.7%, p < 0.20) and perinatal death (3.9 vs 0%, p < 0.30). GA and SA appear equally safe, but SA was associated with significantly better outcome for both mothers and babies.

Choledochal cysts in African infants: a report of 3 cases and a review of the literature.

Choledochal cysts are relatively rare and are an uncommon cause of cholestasis. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment can prevent complications such as cholangitis, cirrhosis and portal hypertension. This article reviews a rarely reported disease in Africans in whom only 3 cases were documented over the 18 year period in Nigeria. The 3 cases were all females with ages between less than a month and 13 months at presentation. All presented with abdominal swelling with or without jaundice or acholic stools. The use of real-time ultrasonography antenatally and postnatally aided the diagnosis in our patients. Two of the patients presented and were operated and both made full recovery confirming the importance of early surgical intervention. The third patient died, and exemplified the consequences of delayed diagnosis and treatment which occur not uncommonly in developing countries mostly because of sparse and or expensive tertiary health care facilities.