Abstract:
Background: Pain after cesarean delivery is experienced through an incision below the
umbilicus, which derives from the abdominal wall. As with other patients, these mothers
require multimodal pain management that provides high-quality analgesia with minimal
side effects. Opioids are widely used to manage pain; however, opioids have adverse
effects. TAP block is usually given as a part of postoperative pain management after a
cesarian section.
Objective: The main aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the transversus
abdominis plane block when used as a part of postoperative analgesics after cesarean
delivery under spinal analgesia at Jimma University Medical Center.
Method: An institutional-based prospective cohort study design was conducted from
August 2022 to October 2022. The study was conducted on 64 parturients who underwent
cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia. Those who took bilateral traverses abdominis
block (n = 32) versus (non-TAP) managed with systemic analgesics alone (n = 32) were
followed postoperatively. Data were collected through chart review and postoperative pain
was assessed during coughing and at rest by using a visual analog scale at the 2
nd, 4th, 6th
,
and 12th hours. In addition, postoperative total analgesic consumption and hemodynamic
parameters were assessed. Epi-data 4.6 and SPSS version 26 software were used for data
entry and analysis, respectively.
Result: Postoperative VAS pain scores, both during coughing and at rest, were
significantly lowered in the TAP block group compared to the non-TAP group (p < 0.05).
Total analgesic consumption was significantly reduced in the TAP block group with a
median total Tramadol dose of 50mg compared with 100mg in the control group within 12
hours (P < 0.05). However, no significant differences were found in the postoperative pulse
rate, arterial pressure, and nausea/vomiting between the groups (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: TAP block reduced postoperative pain and total postoperative analgesics
consumption when used as a part of postoperative analgesia for post-cesarean delivery pain
control.
