A National Survey Questionnaire of Obstetric Anesthesia Units in Israel - ICISA 2017 – The 24th International Conference of the Israeli Society of Anesthesiologists held jointly with the Israeli Society of Critical Care Medicine

Immanuel Bukhman ¹ Carolyn Weiniger ² Daniel Shatalin ¹ Alexander Ioscovich ¹ Yehuda Ginosar ²

¹Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Medicine and Pain Treatmen, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Hebrew University, Jerusalem
²Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical School

Background: The last obstetric anesthesia workforce and facilities survey was performed in 2007, and we repeated this survey in 2017 order to gain an updated picture of obstetric anesthesia practice in Israel.

Method: A written questionnaire was mailed to all 25 anesthesia departments with labor and delivery services nationally.

Results: Response rate was 100% (25/25 units), covering 175000 deliveries. As in 2007, all labor and delivery services had anesthesia cover for 24 hours. Data presented as means (range) or as frequencies. One hospital received 5000 deliveries per year.

The median % (range) cesarean delivery (CD) rate was the same as 2007, 20(10-16). The median 4 (range) analgesia rates were: epidural analgesia 60% (22-85), nitrous oxide 2% (0-60), fentanyl patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) 0% (0-2) and remifentanil PCIA 0% (0-1). The median % (range) anesthesia mode for elective CD was general anesthesia 10% (1-75) and neuraxial 90% (40-99); and for emergency CD was general for 10% (0-92). There was an OR within or immediately adjacent to the labor ward in 18/25 units, and in 9/10 units with ≥ 5000 deliveries per year.

Conclusion: This repeat survey with 100% response rate enabled an update of obstetric anesthesia practices in Israel.