[Caesarean sections under regional anesthesia : Pros and cons of supplementary oxygen.]

[Caesarean sections under regional anesthesia : Pros and cons of supplementary oxygen.] Anaesthesist. 2013 Feb 9; Authors: Aust H, Zemlin M, Woernle F, Wulf H, Rüsch D Abstract The routine administration of supplemental oxygen to women undergoing elective caesarean section under regional anesthesia in order to optimize oxygen supply to the fetus is common anesthetic practice in many German hospitals. However, this practice has been controversially discussed in the non-German literature for many years. This review presents and discusses the pros and cons of routinely providing supplemental oxygen to a parturient during caesarean section on the basis of the literature published over the last 30 years. Proponents of routine oxygen administration point to potential and unforeseeable risks of caesarean sections and consider the prophylactic administration of oxygen based on physiological considerations to be advantageous in terms of patient safety. Interestingly, data regarding the effects of an increased maternal F(I)O(2) on improvement of fetal oxygenation are inconsistent, therefore, no unambiguous recommendation concerning which F(I)O(2) to choose can be given. Opponents of routine oxygen supplementation allude above all to an increase in free radical activity in both mother and fetus; however, data in this respect are not consistent either. As supplemental oxygen to patients undergoing elective caesarean section without any risk factors unde...
Source: Der Anaesthesist - Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Tags: Anaesthesist Source Type: research