Preventive Intramuscular Phenylephrine in Elective Cesarean Section Under Spinal Anesthesia

Summary

Spinal anesthesia is the preferred anesthesia method in cesarean section to provide satisfactory analgesia and muscle relaxant with less impact on respiratory system. However, hypotension often occurred due to the block of sympathetic nerve, causing maternal decline of frontal lobe oxygenation, nausea vomit and the decrease of uteroplacental perfusion. Several measures are used to prevent or treat hypotension caused by spinal anesthesia: prehydration, limb compression, left lateral tilt of operation tables or usage of vasopressors. In the past decade, the most recommended vasopressor to prevent or treat hypotension in spinal anesthesia in cesarean section was phenylephrine, an α-adrenergic receptor, maintaining maternal blood pressure and fetal acid-base state. In clinical work, there are two ways to use phenylephrine : intravenous method with less onset time (several seconds and duration (several minutes) and intramuscular method with longer onset time (10-15 minutes) and duration (1 hour). Many trials demonstrated the protective effect of preventive intravenous phenylephrine on maternal hemodynamics and neonatal acid-base status. However, few trials reported the effect of preventive intramuscular phenylephrine on cesarean section under spinal anesthesia.

Timeline

Start

2018-04-01

Primary completion

2018-08-31

Completion

2018-08-31

Publications

• Results Foss VT, Christensen R, Rokamp KZ, Nissen P, Secher NH, Nielsen HB. Effect of phenylephrine vs. ephedrine on frontal lobe oxygenation during caesarean section with spinal anesthesia: an open label randomized controlled trial. Front Physiol. 2014 Mar 3;5:81. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2014.00081. eCollection 2014.
• Results Macarthur A, Riley ET. Obstetric anesthesia controversies: vasopressor choice for postspinal hypotension during cesarean delivery. Int Anesthesiol Clin. 2007 Winter;45(1):115-32. doi: 10.1097/AIA.0b013e31802b8d53. No abstract available.
• Results Mon W, Stewart A, Fernando R, Ashpole K, El-Wahab N, MacDonald S, Tamilselvan P, Columb M, Liu YM. Cardiac output changes with phenylephrine and ephedrine infusions during spinal anesthesia for cesarean section: A randomized, double-blind trial. J Clin Anesth. 2017 Feb;37:43-48. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinane.2016.11.001. Epub 2016 Dec 26.
• Results Thomas DG, Robson SC, Redfern N, Hughes D, Boys RJ. Randomized trial of bolus phenylephrine or ephedrine for maintenance of arterial pressure during spinal anaesthesia for Caesarean section. Br J Anaesth. 1996 Jan;76(1):61-5. doi: 10.1093/bja/76.1.61.
• Results Lin FQ, Qiu MT, Ding XX, Fu SK, Li Q. Ephedrine versus phenylephrine for the management of hypotension during spinal anesthesia for cesarean section: an updated meta-analysis. CNS Neurosci Ther. 2012 Jul;18(7):591-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1755-5949.2012.00345.x.
• Results Mohta M, Aggarwal M, Sethi AK, Harisinghani P, Guleria K. Randomized double-blind comparison of ephedrine and phenylephrine for management of post-spinal hypotension in potential fetal compromise. Int J Obstet Anesth. 2016 Aug;27:32-40. doi: 10.1016/j.ijoa.2016.02.004. Epub 2016 Feb 21.
• Results Saravanan S, Kocarev M, Wilson RC, Watkins E, Columb MO, Lyons G. Equivalent dose of ephedrine and phenylephrine in the prevention of post-spinal hypotension in Caesarean section. Br J Anaesth. 2006 Jan;96(1):95-9. doi: 10.1093/bja/aei265. Epub 2005 Nov 25.
• Results Magalhaes E, Goveia CS, de Araujo Ladeira LC, Nascimento BG, Kluthcouski SM. Ephedrine versus phenylephrine: prevention of hypotension during spinal block for cesarean section and effects on the fetus. Rev Bras Anestesiol. 2009 Jan-Feb;59(1):11-20. doi: 10.1590/s0034-70942009000100003. English, Portuguese.

Drugs

Indications

No indication recorded.