Maternal satisfaction after spinal anaesthesia for caesarean deliveries

ABSTRACT

To determine the level of satisfaction in terms of intra-operative pain and postoperative nausea, vomiting and backache among patients receiving spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section. Cross-sectional survey. Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care at the Combined Military Hospital, Bahawalpur, from August 2005 to June 2007. A total of 246 pregnant patients undergoing caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia were surveyed. Postoperatively, a questionnaire was given to the patients to score their satisfaction on a four-point visual analogue scale regarding pain during surgery, Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting [PONV], and postoperative backache. The average of response to the questions in each of these three areas was taken as the Fundamental Area Score [FAS] and the average of all these individual area scores was taken as the Patient Satisfaction Score [PSS]. There was high satisfaction score for PONV [98.17%]; but the satisfaction regarding intra-operative pain/ discomfort and postoperative backache was low as shown by a decrease in satisfaction score in these areas [74.09% and 76.83%]. Patient`s overall level of satisfaction with spinal anaesthesia was 81.40%. Patients [53.66%] would opt for spinal anaesthesia in future, if required, 90 [36.59%] would not and 8 patients [9.8%] were not sure. Most of the patients were satisfied with their experience with spinal anaesthesia although there was a higher frequency of postoperative backache