Pattern of Blood Transfusion among Women Undergoing Caesarean Section in a Tertiary Health Care Centre

Abstract

Background: Cesarean section delivery causes major risk factors in terms of intraoperative performance and blood loss while blood transfusion is a promising factor in emergency care in case of blood unavailability. Women undergoing cesarean section routinely require blood cross-matching. Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate the pattern of blood transfusion among women who underwent c/section at the tertiary care center. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 745 pregnant women who underwent cesarean section at Obstetrics & Gynaecology department of Quaid-e-Azam International Hospital Islamabad and PAF hospital Masroor, Karachi for duration of six months from January 2021 to June 2021. The demographic details, incidence of cesarean section, blood transfusion indications and types were recorded. Antenatal intraoperative and pre-operative details were also noted. Complications regarding blood transfusion were analyzed using multivariable analysis and EPI-statistical software v 3.5.3. Results: Of the total 745 cesarean sections, the prevalence of blood transfusion was 10.1%. About 75 women transfused 216 units of blood with packed cells tailed by Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP). The prevalence of emergency cesarean section was 61 (81.3%) while general anesthesia was utilized in 27 (44.3%) cases. Fetal distress and placenta praevia were the common indications of cesarean section. Placenta praevia Respiratory rate (RR) was 5.01 (p<0.001). Other obstetric complications and risk factors were anemia, antepartum hemorrhage, hypertension, and previous cesarean section. The cross-matched transfusion ratio was 9.93 while the transfusion index and probabilities were 0.078 and 10.1 respectively. Conclusion: Our study found a higher prevalence of blood transfusion risks among pregnant women who underwent cesarean section. It has been observed that the risk of blood transfusion increased with placenta previa, preoperative maternal anemia, placenta abruption, and second stage cesarean section. During the antenatal period, the need for blood transfusion might be reduced with an increased concentration of maternal hemoglobin. Keywords: Blood transfusion, Complications, Caesarean delivery, Transfusion index