Level of Pain and Analgesics Taken after Cesarean Section and Differences According to Type of Anesthesia and Demographic Factors

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the level of pain and analgesic consumption in puerperas after cesarean section according to the type of anesthesia administered. This was a prospective study conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mostar University Hospital, in the period from September 2015 to June 2016. The study included 111 puerperas. Experimental group included 54 puerperas operated on under spinal anesthesia, while comparative group included 57 puerperas operated on under general anesthesia. Primary endpoints of the study were pain score and dose number of analgesics used. Input parameters of the study were age, gestational age, education, and place of residence. To determine the level of pain, visual analog scale for pain was used. Results showed that puerperas operated on under spinal anesthesia had significantly lower pain sensation (p=0.031) and less need for analgesic consumption in the postoperative period as compared to those operated on under general anesthesia (p=0.024). Increased age was associated with lower pain sensation (p=0.014) and need for analgesics (p<0.05). Higher level of education was associated with greater need for analgesics (p=0.016). Living in urban area was associated with greater pain sensation (p=0.023) and less need for analgesics (p<0.17). Spinal anesthesia for cesarean section resulted in less pain and less need for analgesics in the postoperative period compared to general anesthesia.

Keywords

• Puerpera
• Spinal anesthesia
• General anesthesia
• Pain level
• Analgesic consumption
• Cesarean section