Objective:

To determine whether a decrease in the injection speed of local anesthetic during spinal anesthesia provides an adequate anesthetic level to perform a cesarean section with a lower incidence of arterial hypotension.

Methodology:

A prospective cohort study was carried out. It considered 108 full- term pregnant women scheduled for elective and emergency cesarean section as well as use of spinal block under similar conditions, corresponding 54 patients in the SLOW infusion group (30-60 seconds) and 54 in the FAST group (15-30 seconds).

Results:

No differences were found between both groups regarding the demographics, anesthetic level, baseline systolic blood pressure, fetal well-being (Apgar), administered intravenous fluids and intraoperative blood loss. A higher frequency of arterial hypotension was observed in patients of the FAST Group (68.50%) compared to those in the SLOW Group (38.80%). Likewise, a greater occurrence of adverse effects secondary to arterial hypotension, such as nausea and vomiting, was evident in those of the FAST Group. A certain similarity in the degree of satisfaction among patients of both groups was found.

Conclusion:

Slow injection speed of the anesthetic could reduce the hypotension induced by spinal anesthesia for cesarean section, without modifying the extent of cephalic sensory block or anesthetic level.

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