A survey of anaesthetic techniques used for caesarean section in the UK in 1997.

A prospective survey of anaesthesia for caesarean section was performed for the year 1 January to 31 December, 1997. Two hundred and fifty maternity hospitals were sent questionnaires from which 129 responses were obtained. The data provided information on anaesthesia for 60 455 caesarean sections. Overall 78% of sections were performed with regional anaesthesia: 47% single shot spinal; 22% epidural; 9% combined spinal epidural (CSE); 22% general anaesthesia. For elective caesarean sections (39% of all sections) regional anaesthesia was used for 87% of cases: 68% single shot spinal; 3% epidural; 15% CSE; 13% general anaesthesia. For emergency procedures regional anaesthesia was used for 72% of cases: 34% single shot spinal; 34% epidural; 4% CSE; 28% general anaesthesia. There was a wide range of regional anaesthesia use among the units, varying from an overall rate of 95% at one extreme to 41% at the other. Similarly, there was a wide range of conversion of regional anaesthesia to general anaesthesia, varying from 0% to 88%. Overall, 10.6% of the general anaesthetics were the result of regional to general anaesthesia conversion.