A survey study on anesthesiology and reanimation physicians' approaches to breastfeeding patients

A SURVEY STUDY ON ANESTHESİOLOGY AND REANİMATİON PHYSİCİANS' APPROACHES TO BREASTFEEDİNG PATİENTS Introduction and Aim: We aimed to evaluate the awareness of physicians working in the field of anesthesiology and reanimation regarding breastfeeding patients, their perioperative approaches, their familiarity with existing guidelines, and how frequently they apply the recommendations from these guidelines. Materials and Methods: A survey method was used to collect data. An original survey consisting of 20 questions was prepared based on guidelines related to perioperative breastfeeding. A total of 382 anesthesiologists participated in the survey. The survey was distributed to participants via online platforms, and the results were also collected through online platforms. Results: Of the 382 participants in the study, 48.2% (n=184) were female and 51.6% (n=197) were male. The rate of participants who had received any training on perioperative breastfeeding was 8.9%. A total of 64.7% of the participants reported that there was no protocol regarding perioperative breastfeeding in the anesthesia clinic of the institution where they worked. The presence of a protocol in the workplace was found to be significantly higher in the group that had received training (p=0.012). It was observed that 64.9% of the respondents were not familiar with any guidelines or protocols. Additionally, the most commonly known source was the American Society of Anesthesiologists, cited by 18.6%. Familiarity rates were found to be higher in the group that had received training. The rate of questioning breastfeeding status during preoperative evaluation of patients of reproductive age undergoing surgery was significantly higher in the trained group (p=0.002). The rate of providing recommendations to breastfeeding patients undergoing surgery was also significantly higher in the trained group (p=0.003). It was found that 55.8% of the participants were not familiar with sources related to perioperative medications. Conclusion: According to the findings of our study, we determined that the awareness levels of anesthesiologists regarding breastfeeding patients are low, and that the guidelines, instructions, and sources related to perioperative breastfeeding are not sufficiently known and are inadequately implemented. Additionally, we found that education status created a significant difference in some outcomes. We believe that more emphasis should be placed on this topic in educational processes to increase awareness, support the implementation of recommendations, and enhance the effective use of guidelines. Keywords: Anesthesiology and reanimation, perioperative breastfeeding, breast milk