South African Family Practice 2017; 59(4):128–132 https://doi.org/10.1080/20786190.2017.1292696 S Afr Fam Pract ISSN 2078-6190 EISSN 2078-6204 Open Access article distributed under the terms of the © 2017 The Author(s) Creative Commons License [CC BY-NC 3.0] http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0 RESEARCH Factors associated with failed spinal anaesthesia for Caesarean sections in Mthatha general hospital, Eastern Cape, South Africa Adeyinka Abiodun Alabia*, Oladele Vincent Adeniyib , Olukayode Ademola Adelekea, Pamela Pillac and Mohamed Rashid Haffajeed a Department of Family Medicine, Walter Sisulu University, Eastern Cape, South Africa b Department of Family Medicine, Cecilia Makiwane Hospital, East London Hospital Complex, Walter Sisulu University, Eastern Cape, South Africa c School of Laboratory Medicine & Medical Sciences, Department of Anatomy, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa d School of Laboratory Medicine & Medical Sciences, Department of Clinical Anatomy, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa *Corresponding author, email:
[email protected] Background: The use of spinal anaesthesia has increased in the last three decades, given that it is the recommended anaesthetic of choice for better foetal and maternal outcomes in Caesarean section. Failed spinal anaesthesia (FSA) exposes patients to unfavourable experience of pain and the potential complications of general anaesthesia that are being avoided in the first instance. This study determines the incidence and the predictors of failed spinal anaesthesia in pregnant women presenting for Caesarean section at Mthatha General Hospital, Eastern Cape. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study included 197 pregnant women scheduled for Caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia at Mthatha General Hospital from May 1 to August 30, 2013.