2023 Volume 33 Issue 1 Pages 7-11
Inhalation anesthetic agents inhibit uterine muscle contractility in laboratory experiments ; therefore, intravenous anesthetic use is recommended to avoid the atonic effects of inhalation anesthetics after cesarean section delivery of a fetus. However, the clinical impact of inhalation anesthetic use remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the effects of inhalation anesthetic agents used after delivery on intraoperative blood loss in cesarean section. A single-center retrospective study was performed using clinical data from patients who underwent emergency cesarean section during a 7-year period. A total of 511 patients were analyzed. General anesthesia was performed in 147 patients, and the remaining 364 patients received cesarean section under spinal anesthesia. For general anesthesia, propofol and inhalation anesthesia (sevoflurane and desflurane) were used after cesarean delivery in 125 and 22 patients, respectively. Multivariate regression analysis showed that intraoperative blood loss after delivery was comparable to propofol (−155 mL; 95%CI, −344 to 35 mL). Inhalation anesthetic agents used after delivery were not associated with increased blood loss during cesarean section. Prospective large studies are needed to support these findings.