Monitoring pulse rate before C-section improves maternal health

July 11 (UPI) -- New research shows tracking the pulse rate before a Cesarean section can help determine whether a woman needs blood pressure medication after a spinal block.

A new study, published July 11 in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering, suggests it may not always be necessary to prescribe preventative drugs to women who receive a spinal block prior to giving birth by c-section, especially since the drugs may have side effects for mother and baby.

Many women experience a hypotensive drop of about 20 percent after receiving spinal anesthesia, which can make them dizzy, nauseous and vomit so doctors often prescribe a blanket prescription of preventative medication to prevent this.

The typical practice of doctors prescribing drugs to prevent blood pressure drops is being reexamined after a recent study showed pulse rate monitoring before the administration of a spinal block may provide valuable information to doctors on which women need preventative drugs. In some cases, it can cause excessive high blood pressure and unborn babies can have oxygen deprivation or acidosis.

Researchers at the Miguel Servet University Hospital in Spain monitored the vital signs of 54 women who received preventative treatment and 51 other women who did not.

They found that by using an electrocardiogram sensor and pulse photo plethysmograph sensor attached to the finger, they could measure any changes in heart and pulse rate while women are lying down or sitting.

The study showed most women who did not receive preventative treatment developed hypotension, however, researchers advise doctors to focus on identifying patients whose blood pressure stays in the normal range regardless of spinal block and c-section.

"The combination of demographic data and features derived from electrocardiogram and pulse photo plethysmograph signals can lead to better classification results," Augusto Navarro, of the Miguel Servet University Hospital, said in a press release.