MATERNAL POSITION DURING INDUCTION OF SPINAL-ANESTHESIA FOR CESAREAN-SECTION - A COMPARISON OF RIGHT LATERAL AND SITTING POSITIONS

Forty women presenting for elective Caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia were randomly assigned to have anaesthesia induced in either the sitting or right lateral positions; 2.5ml 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine was injected over 10s before the mother was placed in a supine position with a 20 degrees lateral tilt. The onset time and height of the subsequent analgesic and anaesthetic block was measured. It took longer to site spinal needles in the lateral position (240 vs 115s, p < 0.001). There was a faster onset of sensory block to the sixth thoracic dermatomal level (8 vs 10min, p < 0.001), in the lateral group, although onset time to T-4 was comparable. There was no difference in maximum block height or degree of motor block. Mothers in the lateral group required more ephedrine in the first 10m after siting the spinal (13.5 vs 10.5mg, p < 0.05).