Studying the Effect of Wearing Compression Socks on Hypotension and the Amount of Administrated Ephedrine after Spinal Anesthesia in the Candidates for Cesarean Section

Due to the negative effects and risks of general anesthesia for the mother and fetus, spinal anesthesia has been the preferred method of anesthesia for cesarean section. Nevertheless, this method has its own disadvantages and side effects, which must be prevented or treated through effective approaches. This study evaluates the effect of wearing compression socks on degree of hypotension and ephedrine administration after spinal anesthesia in candidates for cesarean section. In this clinical trial, 80 candidates for cesarean section were equally divided into an intervention group and a control group. Immediately after spinal anesthesia, the patients were worn compression socks from the tip of the toe fingers up to the knees. Blood pressure was measured and recorded just before spinal anesthesia and every 5 minutes after, for 30 minutes. The recorded data were analyzed by SPSS (version 19). The mean blood pressure recorded 5 minutes and 15 minutes after spinal anesthesia differed significantly between the two groups (P<0.05). Moreover, ephedrine was not administered for the patients in the intervention group in the first 5 minutes after spinal anesthesia. Considering the positive effects of wearing compression socks on the anesthesia-induced hypotension and amount of ephedrine administration, this non-invasive method is highly recommended for cesarean section candidates who undergo spinal anesthesia.