Obstetrical admissions to the intensive care unit after anesthesia survey at King Hussein Medical Center

ABSTRACT

To determine the Intensive Care Unit admission rate in two years among obstetric patients at King Hussein Medical Center, and to ascertain anesthetic complications requiring post anesthesia respiratory support. During the period between January 1[st] 1997 to December 31[st] 1998, a total of 26 obstetric patients were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit from operation room, as they required mechanical ventilation. The medical records of the patients were reviewed and analyzed regarding complications of anesthesia. During the study period, there were 44055 deliveries, with a total of 4229 cesarean sections were performed; 458 spinal [regional anesthesia] and 3771 general anesthesia. Twenty-six out of 4229 were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit due to one or more of the following complication[s], hypertension, hemorrhage, infection, heart disease. None of the patients who had spinal anesthesia had any problem the majority of patients requiring Intensive Care Unit admissions had hypertensive disease of pregnancy and hemorrhage. At King Hussein Medical Center the incidence of Intensive Care Unit admission among obstetric patients following anesthesia is [0.61%] and if the need for post anesthesia respiratory support is used as an indicator, then spinal anesthesia was safer than general anesthesia