Anaesthesia | Obstetrics | Choice of Anaesthetic Technique

Choice of Anaesthetic Technique
Session Overview
Description
This session uses hypothetical scenarios to illustrate factors influencing the choice of anaesthetic technique for obstetric procedures.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Describe the classification of urgency of a Caesarean section
• Assess the advantages and disadvantages of different anaesthetic techniques for healthy women undergoing obstetric anaesthetic procedures
• Advise women regarding the options for anaesthesia for obstetric procedures

Prerequisites
Before commencing this session you should:

• Have completed all of the preceding sessions in Module 04a/Obstetrics

There are four primary anaesthetic options for obstetric procedures. These have been described in detail in previous sessions.

For each person undergoing an obstetric procedure, the advantages and disadvantages of each technique must be considered (taking into account maternal, fetal, obstetric and anaesthetic considerations).

The final choice of anaesthetic rests with the competent patient. It is the anaesthetist’s role to ensure that the patient is adequately informed to make an appropriate choice.