Management of hypotension after spinal anesthesia administered for caesarean section

ABSTRACT

Spinal anesthesia is widely used for parturients undergoing scheduled elective caesarean section. Hypotension associated with spinal anesthesia is a major concern in obstetrics. Preventive methods for post-spinal hypotension include intravenous fluid preloading, bolus or continuous injection of vasopressors. Intravenous fluid preloading reduces the incidence and severity of maternal hypotension during spinal anesthesia administered for cesarean section. Although fluid preloading prevents maternal hypotension, it is not advisable to delay spinal anesthesia for preloading a fixed volume of intravenous fluid. Ephedrine, the drug of choice to prevent maternal hypotension during spinal anesthesia for caesarean delivery, acts by maintaining the uteroplacental blood flow. Phenylephrine is also effective in reducing maternal hypotension during this procedure. Both the vasopressors are acceptable for preventing hypotension. However, in the absence of maternal bradycardia, phenylephrine is the preferred drug for the management of hypotension during regional anesthesia for caesarean section, because of its improved fetal acid-base status.