Risks of regional anaesthesia for caesarean section: women's recall and information sources

Recall and information sources regarding the risks of regional anaesthesia in women having lower segment caesarean section have not been adequately assessed previously. We aimed to survey women's recall of their pre-anaesthesia risk discussion and determine where women, presenting for lower seg...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Anaesthesia and intensive care 2007-02, Vol.35 (1), p.68-73
Main Authors: Cheng, W Y C, Cyna, A M, Osborn, K D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Anesthesia, Conduction - adverse effects
Anesthesia, Obstetrical - adverse effects
Australia
Cesarean Section
Chi-Square Distribution
Complications and side effects
Dosage and administration
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Management
Maternal health services
Mental Recall
Middle Aged
Patient Education as Topic
Patient outcomes
Pregnancy
Regional anesthesia
Risk Factors
Surveys
Surveys and Questionnaires
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Summary:Recall and information sources regarding the risks of regional anaesthesia in women having lower segment caesarean section have not been adequately assessed previously. We aimed to survey women's recall of their pre-anaesthesia risk discussion and determine where women, presenting for lower segment caesarean section under regional anaesthesia, obtain risk information. Following a small pilot survey, women's responses were recorded for "spontaneous" or "prompted" recalled risks, the information source and its reliability. One-hundred and fifty women were surveyed following caesarean section. Seventy women (46.7%) had an elective procedure and 80 (53.3%) had an emergency procedure. Overall, 142 women (94.6%) recalled at least four risks (44.6% spontaneously; 66% prompted). Of those women giving at least four spontaneous responses, 41 (58.6%) had elective and 26 (32.5%) had emergency lower segment caesarean section (P = 0.001). The majority of women stated that anaesthetists were the main, and most reliable, source of their information regarding risks of regional anaesthesia for caesarean section. This report identifies the risks associated with regional anaesthesia for caesarean section that women most frequently recall, namely headache, paralysis, nerve damage and inadequate block.
ISSN:0310-057X
1448-0271
DOI:10.1177/0310057X0703500109