Table 1.
Population-weighted estimates of anaesthetic techniques for caesarean section in the Czech Republic and Slovakia
| Czech Republic | Slovakia | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of births | 7749* | 3490** | ||
| Number of caesarean deliveries | 2068 (26.7%)* | 1205 (34.5%)** | ||
| General anaesthesia | 33.9% | 31.3% | ||
| Neuraxial anaesthesia | 66.1% | 68.7% | ||
| Elective CS | Emergency CS | Elective CS | Emergency CS | |
| N = 940* | N = 1128* | N = 606** | N = 599** | |
| General anaesthesia | 23.0% (19.9–26.4) | 45.4% (42.1–48.8) | 24.9% (20.6–29.7) | 36.8% (31.8–42.1) |
| Neuraxial anaesthesia | 77.0% (73.6–80.1) | 54.6% (51.2–57.9) | 75.1% (70.3–79.4) | 63.2% (57.9–68.2) |
| Spinal anaesthesia | 93.9% (92.3–95.2) | 74.0% (71.3–76.5) | 97.8% (96.1–99.4) | 85.3% (83.5–87.7) |
| Epidural top-up anaesthesia | 0 | 19.9% (17.7–22.4) | 0 | 13.8% (11.9–16.0) |
| Epidural ”de novo“ anaesthesia | 6.1% (4.8–8.0) | 6.1% (4.7–7.7) | 1.1% (0.6–1.9) | 0.5% (0.3–1.2) |
| CSE | 0 | 0 | 1.1% (0.4–3.3) | 0.4% (0.1–3.0) |
Data are given in n (%) or percentages (95% CI). Data represent the final anaesthetic technique used for caesarean section. Cases in which neuraxial anaesthesia was attempted but required conversion to general anaesthesia were classified according to the final general anaesthetic technique; failed neuraxial blockade was recorded separately as a reported reason for general anaesthesia in Table 2. The percentages for neuraxial subtypes are conditional on neuraxial anaesthesia. Overall proportions reflect population-weighted estimates across all caesarean sections and are not simple averages of elective and emergency categories. National numbers of caesarean deliveries were derived from official statistics of the Institute of Health Information of the Czech Republic (*) and the National Health Care Information Centre of Slovakia (**). Emergency caesarean deliveries include urgency categories 1–3 according to the widely used Lucas classification [10]. Epidural top-up refers to the extension of labour epidural analgesia to anaesthesia for caesarean section; epidural “de novo” refers to newly administered epidural anaesthesia. CI confidence interval, CS caesarean section, CSE combined spinal–epidural anaesthesia