• Xin Wang, Jun-Mei Xu, Fan Zhou, Liang He, Yu-Long Cui, and Zhi-Jian Li.
• Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China (mainland).
• Med. Sci. Monit. 2015 Jan 1;21:52-8.

BackgroundSpinal anesthesia (SA) is usually associated with hypotension in pregnant women. We sought to assess the influence of various maternal positions on SA-induced hypotensionMaterial/MethodsThe study population comprised 99 women at full-term gestation scheduled for elective cesarean section. They were randomized into 3 equal groups: the LL group, in which the patient was placed in the full left-lateral position until the start of surgery with the Whitacre needle bevel oriented laterally; the LS group, in which the patient was placed in the full left-lateral position initially and then shifted to the left-tilt supine position with the needle bevel oriented laterally; and the CS group, in which the patient was initially placed in the full left-lateral position and then shifted to the left-tilt supine position with the needle oriented in the cephalad direction.ResultsThe incidences of hypotension in the LL, LS, and CS groups were 9.7%, 54.8%, and 56.3%, respectively. Ephedrine requirements were lower in the LL group than in the LS group (P<0.01).ConclusionsThe maternal position during the induction of anesthesia played an important role in the development of hypotension during cesarean delivery.

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