A study comparing estimated blood loss between Spinal anaesthesia and general anaesthesia on Women undergoing elective caesarian section at KNH

Abstract

This was a prospective descriptive correlational study done at Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi province, Kenya to compare the estimated blood loss during spinal anaesthesia and general anaesthesia for patient undergoing elective caesarian section. A total of 70 patients were included in the study, 35 in each group. There pre operative hemoglobin levels were noted and post operative hemoglobin levels were then checked on the third post-operative day. Observation and estimation of blood loss was based on the formula developed by Snelling and Shaw. In the present there was no significant difference in the two groups as regards blood loss. However, patients in the spinal anaesthesia tendered to have no significant drop in hemoglobin level as 48.6% had no change in the spinal group while this was 37.1% in the general anaesthesia group. No patients were transfused during the study. It was therefore concluded that in skilled hands both.techniques can be used for the provision of safe anaesthesia for obstetrics patients.