The purpose of this study was to measure changes in maternal cerebral blood oxygenation using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for 15 min after spinal anesthesia performed for cesarean section, and to determine the efficacy of supplemental oxygen in maintaining maternal cerebral blood oxygenation. Thirty patients were randomly assigned to either receive 100% oxygen via a facemask at a constant flow rate of 3 l/min throughout the study (O2 group), or were evaluated without supplemental oxygen (Air group). Changes in cerebral blood oxygenation were evaluated using the following parameters: oxy-hemoglobin (Hb), deoxy-Hb, and total-Hb concentrations, as well as tissue oxygen index (TOI), measured over the forehead by NIRS. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were also recorded throughout the study. Mean oxy-Hb, total-Hb, TOI, and MAP in both groups decreased significantly from baseline values (P<0.05). The reduction in oxy-Hb and TOI in the Air group was significantly greater than that in the O2 group (oxy-Hb: -4.72 vs. -2.96 μmol/l; P<0.05, TOI: -6.82 vs. -1.68%; P<0.01); however, there were no significant differences in the reduction of total-Hb and MAP between the groups. Mean deoxy-Hb in the Air group was significantly higher than that in the O2 group (0.02 vs. -1.01 μmol/l; P<0.05). The results of the present study demonstrate that oxygen supplementation attenuates cerebral blood deoxygenation secondary to the reduction in cerebral blood flow following spinal anesthesia.
Keywords: Cerebral blood oxygenation changes; Cesarean section; Near-infrared spectroscopy; Oxygen supplementation; Spinal anesthesia.