Bupivacaine-Fentanyl vs Ropivacaine-Fentanyl: Evaluation of two Spinal Anesthesia Protocols for Emergency Cesarean Section

Abstract

Objective: Evaluation of the hemodynamic, respiratory and fetal side effects of two protocols for spinal anesthesia (P1: bupivacaine-fentanyl; P2: ropivacaine-fentanyl). Material and Method: Prospective pseudo-randomized study comparing two spinal anesthesia protocols for emergency cesarean section conducted in the operating room of the regional hospital center of Saint Louis in Senegal. Study duration was 4 months. We studied, age, indication for Caesarean section, medical and surgical history, P1 and P2 protocols, hypotension, bradycardia, Apgar scores at birth and at 5min. Univariate and bivariate analysis was performed on the R software. Result: A total of 115 patients were collected, with a mean age of 27.1 years (E: 15 - 45) and a standard deviation of 7.6. Indications for Caesarean section were maternal and fetal dystocia for 67 patients (58%), fetal distress for 39 parturients (34%), and pre-eclampsia for 5 patients (4%). The P1-Bupi spinal protocol was used in 42 patients (36.5%) and the P2-Ropi spinal protocol was used in 73 patients (63.5%). Anesthetic complications such as low blood pressure, bradycardia and desaturation were found in a total of 30 patients, i.e. in 26% of cases. The mean Apgar score at birth for newborns from the P1-Bupi protocol was 8 (Extremes: 7, 9); the mean Apgar score at birth for newborns from the P2-Ropi protocol was 7.5 (Extremes: 2, 10). There was a significantly negative correlation between the P1-bupi protocol and the appearance of hypotension with p-value: 0.04 and a significantly positive correlation between the P2-ropi protocol and the appearance of hypotension with p-value: 0.04. Discussion/ Conclusion: Ropivacaine certainly has a better cardiovascular and neurological tolerance and a better efficacy in terms of analgesia. However, during caesarean sections, it is important to consider the risk of hypotension and possible fetal complications related to its use. Keywords: Ropivacaine - Bupivacaine - Spinal anesthesia - Caesarean section