ABSTRACT
Neonatal apgar, at the beginning of childbirth, is one of the most important causes of postnatal death. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of thiopental with that of propofol on neonate apgar and on their mothers. In this clinical double blind trial, seventy women undergoing elective cesarean section were randomly divided into two equal groups. In the first group, general anesthesia was induced by interavenous [IV] injection of 5mg/kg thiopental and 2mg/kg of succinyl choline per kg of mother weight. After intubations, 0.4g of atracurium per kg was used. In the second group, general anesthesia was initially induced using 2 mg of each propofol and succinyl choline and followed by injection of propofol, 0.1mg/min per kg of mother weight. Neonates apgar in the first and fifth minutes and post operation complications in the mothers were recorded in both the groups. Data were analyzed using independent t, X[2], and Fisher tests. Neonate's apgar in the fifth minute after birth was 10 in 97.2% of group one and 100% of group two [P>0.05]. There was a significant decrease in mothers systolic blood pressure in propofol group 4 minutes after anesthetic induction. In the group two, who received propofol, the post operative opioid usage and mean recovery time were significantly less than group one [P<0.01]. The results of this study showed that induction of anesthesia using propofol would decrease the time of maternal recovery and also reduce the amount of drug required for mother at the first two hours post-operation with no effect on decreasing neonate apgar