Epidemiological Profile of Acute Low Back Pain in Operated Patients Under Spinal Anesthesia in Kashan University of Medical Sciences’ Teaching Hospitals in 2019

According to the global burden of disease study 2019, low back pain (LBP) is among the top ten high‑burden diseases and injuries. As a common complication of spinal anesthesia, this study aimed to consider the incidence of LBP and related factors in operating patients under spinal anesthesia in Kashan University of Medical Sciences’(KAUMS) hospitals in 2019.

During a cross‑sectional study, patients who underwent surgical procedures under spinal anesthesia at the teaching hospitals of KAUMS in 2019 were evaluated. Needed information about surgery and anesthesia was retrieved from the medical records. In addition, information about LBP was extracted from patients’ records as well as telephone calls. Using SPSS for statistical analysis, P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

During the study period, the total number of 460 surgical patients were considered. Among them, 290 were men (63.0%) and the mean age of participants was 38.6 ± 6.2. The incidence of LBP among study participants was 47.6%. Regarding sex, women were 2.8 times more likely to develop a backache than men (odds ratio = 2.8, 95% confidence interval: 1.8–4.8, P < 0.001) after spinal anesthesia. The highest frequency of pain was seen in gynecologic surgeries, lateral position, and ages 26–44 years.

The incidence of LBP after spinal anesthesia was 47.6% and it was significantly associated with age (mostly in 26–44 y), gender (higher in women), type of surgery (higher in gynecologic procedures), and surgical position (higher in lateral position).