Why Caesarean Matters (Why It Matters Book 12) by Goggin Clare

Author:Goggin, Clare [Goggin, Clare]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pinter & Martin
Published: 2018-10-24T16:00:00+00:00

Epidural given during labour not effective enough so another anaesthetic is needed for the caesarean

Common

1/7

Spinal anaesthetic not working well enough and more drugs are needed to help with pain during the operation

Occasional

1/20

Regional anaesthetic not working well enough for caesarean and general anaesthetic is needed (spinal)

Occasional

1/50

Regional anaesthetic not working well enough for caesarean section and general anaesthetic is needed (epidural)

Occasional

1/20

Other issues include:

•

It can cause itching (10–33% of the time) or a drop in blood pressure (which is easy to treat).

•

It will take longer to get ready for your caesarean (important in urgent situations).

•

Occasionally, it may make you feel shaky.

•

You may have a tender area in the back where the needle goes in.

•

You may develop a post-dural puncture headache.

What are the benefits of a general anaesthetic?

This is used less and less often nowadays, but it is sometimes needed in emergency situations (particularly category one caesareans) or in the case of maternal preference. 27 The National Sentinel Caesarean Section Audit 2001 reported that 77% of unplanned and 91% of planned caesareans used regional anesthesia.

How is a general anaesthetic administered?

In many ways, the preparation for a general anaesthetic is similar to the preparation for a regional anaesthetic. The monitoring equipment is attached to you and your anaesthetist will insert a cannula into your hand or arm.

You will be given an antacid to drink (to reduce the acid in your stomach) and a midwife may insert a catheter into your bladder before the general anaesthetic is started.

The anaesthetist will give you oxygen to breathe through a tight-fitting face mask, which they put on your face for a few minutes. Once the obstetrician and all the team are ready, the anaesthetist will put the anaesthetic in your drip to send you to sleep. Just as you go off to sleep, the anaesthetist’s assistant will press lightly on your neck. This is to prevent stomach fluids getting into your lungs. The anaesthetic works very quickly.

When you are asleep, the anaesthetist will place a tube into your windpipe to allow a machine to breathe for you and also to prevent fluid from your stomach from entering your lungs. The anaesthetist will continue the anaesthetic to keep you asleep and allow the obstetrician to deliver your baby safely. But you won’t know anything about any of this. The anaesthetist or obstetrician will put in some local anaesthetic which will help with the pain relief afterwards. At the end of the operation, you may be given a suppository (tablet) up your bottom to help relieve pain when you wake up.

What are the risks of general anesthetic? 28

Type of risk

How often does this happen?

How common is it?

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