Maternal and Fetal outcomes following propofol anaesthesia
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A retrospective study of the effect of different intravenous induction agents on maternal and foetal outcomes following emergency caesarean section under general anaesthesia
IRAS ID
180113
Contact name
Tom Pratt
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
R&D Department, UHSFT
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 3 months, 0 days
Research summary
Although most caesarean sections in the UK are performed awake under spinal or epidural anaesthesia, for a small number of mothers the urgency of the operation necessitates the use of general anaesthesia. Most obstetric anaesthetists use the drug thiopentone to induce anaesthesia, as it has been used for many years and has long been considered the safest option. However it is less commonly used in other areas of practice and recent research suggests that the more commonly used anaesthetic drug propofol may in fact be safer. Some studies looking at planned caesarean sections have also suggested that propofol is safer, but others have found worse outcomes for both mother and baby. There is no research into the use of propofol in those women requiring an emergency caesarean section.
This research project will look at those women who received general anaesthesia for emergency caesarean section with propofol during a period in 2012 when manufacturing problems meant that no thiopentone was available. We will compare the outcomes of the women and their babies to a group of similar women who received anaesthesia with thiopentone. The women all underwent caesarean section in a single University Teaching Hospital and all data for the study will be collected from the medical notes.
REC name
South West - Central Bristol Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/SW/0172
Date of REC Opinion
3 Jun 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion