Popis: |
Summary Although maternal deaths due to anaesthesia have declined dramatically, emergency general anaesthesia remains the principal cause of anaesthetic related maternal deaths. It is illogical to use such a technique for emergency caesarean section when regional anaesthesia is possible: in experienced hands spinal anaesthesia can be induced as quickly as general anaesthesia and, if an epidural is already in situ and has been working well for labour, a further top-up using a mixture of local anaesthetic and adjuvant drugs will usually meet even the most stringent time requirements. |