- Design
- Multicentre prospective observational cohort, 361 centres in 31 European countries
- Population
- 9,989 Caesarean deliveries, all urgency categories
- Primary outcome
- Anaesthesia technique by urgency category
- Effect
- General anaesthesia 14.8% overall (95% CI 14.0 to 15.5); 54.0% emergency versus 10.9% elective
A prospective cohort covered every Caesarean delivery in 361 centres in 31 European countries between September 2023 and April 2025, 9,989 in total. Anaesthesiologists recorded the technique and the urgency category.
General anaesthesia was used in 14.8% overall (95% CI 14.0 to 15.5). By urgency, it was used in 54.0% of emergency, 13.8% of urgent, 11.3% of expedited and 10.9% of elective cases. It was the initial technique in 7.6%. In elective cases, the commonest reason for initial general anaesthesia was maternal request (47.0%), while in emergencies it was insufficient time for neuraxial anaesthesia (58.4%).
Conversion from an initial neuraxial technique to general anaesthesia occurred in 7.7% overall, 23.1% of emergency cases and 6.1% of elective ones. The authors state that the study describes practice and cannot determine reasons for differences or causal relationships. It does not cover India.
- General anaesthesia was used in 14.8% of Caesarean deliveries, 54.0% of emergencies.
- Elective general anaesthesia was most often by maternal request.
- Conversion from neuraxial to general anaesthesia happened in 7.7%, and in 23.1% of emergencies.
- Even elective cases converted 6.1% of the time, so keep airway equipment ready.
- Data are from European centres, so local rates may differ.
Why it matters
It gives a benchmark for how often a general anaesthetic and an airway are needed in obstetric lists.
Don't overread it
This describes practice in European centres and does not show whether general anaesthesia rates are appropriate or safe.
The statistics, in plain English
A rate such as 23.1% is a proportion of the 98 conversions among emergency neuraxial starts, so intervals for subgroups are wide. Without information on outcomes, the study cannot say whether any rate is too high or too low.
Read the rest in the app
You have read your two free briefings this month. The app carries all 27 specialties, every morning, free — and this finding is waiting in it.
Scan to keep reading on your phone. No account needed to start.
Tomorrow morning, before your first patient
One edition a day for anaesthesiology, written by the desk, every claim tied to its paper. Six minutes.
Get the app — free