Low doses of propofol and midazolam on maternal hemodynamic symptoms and neonatal Apgar in women undergoing spinal anesthesia in cesarean section: A double-blind randomized clinical trial study

Regional anesthesia is the method of choice in cesarean section. Intravenous sleeping pills used to induce anesthesia quickly cross the placenta and cause fetal respiration depression. This study was performed with aim to compare the low dose of propofol with midazolam on the maternal hemodynamics symptoms and neonatal Apgar in women undergoing spinal anesthesia in cesarean section.

In this double-blind randomized clinical trial study which was performed in Jahrom in 2013, 42 patients with anesthesia classes I and II underwent spinal anesthesia and were placed in two equal groups of injection of propofol 20 mg and midazolam 1.5 mg along with spinal anesthesia. Symptoms of maternal hemodynamics were measured at 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 30, and 60 minutes after spinal anesthesia and neonatal apgar at 1 and 5 minutes after birth. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 21) and Mann-Whitney test. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

There was no significant difference between midazolam and propofol groups in terms of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, Blood O2 saturation, and hear rate at different times and neonatal Apgar (P> 0.05).

Considering the results of the study and no difference between the two groups in terms of neonatal Apgar and fluctuations of maternal hemodynamic variables, it can be concluded that under normal conditions, low doses of propofol and midazolam for cesarean section clinically have no significant difference on neonatal Apgar and hemodynamic variables; both drugs can be used depending on the condition and experience of the anesthesiologist.