Spinal Anesthesia for Cesarean Section

Of a series of 1,141 patients who received ephedrine prophylactically, 46% had prepartum falls in blood pressure exceeding 20% of the preanesthetic level, and in more than half of the women the systolic pressure fell below 100 mm. Hg. No correlation was found between the incidence of hypotension and the level of sensory analgesia. In a comparable group of 64 patients methoxamine hydrochloride was found to be more effective as a prophylactic and therapeutic agent than ephedrine. However, there was also a significantly greater incidence of hypertension with methoxamine. It was found that spinal anesthesia did not impair the effectiveness of ventilation as measured by arterial bloodpCO₂provided small doses of the agent were used and blood pressure was maintained.