Obstetrics – elective caesarean section rate

Metric

The proportion of deliveries that were an elective caesarean section.

Numerator

Any spell with a primary procedure with the following OPCS code:

  • R17 Elective caesarean delivery

Equivalent to caesarean procedure subgroup in the DFI tools

Denominator

Any spell with a primary procedure of one of the following OPCS codes:

  • R17 Elective caesarean delivery
  • R18 Other caesarean delivery
  • R19 Breech extraction delivery
  • R20 Other breech delivery
  • R21 Forceps cephalic delivery
  • R22 Vacuum delivery
  • R23 Cephalic vaginal delivery with abnormal presentation of head at delivery without instrument
  • R24 Normal delivery
  • R25 Other methods of delivery

Equivalent to “Delivery” procedure group in the DFI tools

Data Source

SUS – CDS

Time frame

April 2010 – March 2011

Basis

Acute trust

Statistical methods used

Indirect standardisation adjusting for maternal age.

2 Responses to Obstetrics – elective caesarean section rate

  1. Pat O'Brien says:
    July 14, 2011 at 11:20 am

    If it is intended that a metric such as ‘elective CS rate’ will be useful to compare the performance of maternity units, it will be meaningless unless casemix is taken into account. For example, if in a network of hospitals, one unit delivers all babies less than 28 weeks’ gestation or who require neonatal surgery, the net effect will be to increase the CS rate in that hospital and decrease it in the others.

  2. Angela Ince on behalf of Adrienne Price, Head of Midwifery says:
    July 25, 2011 at 3:26 pm

    This should be based upon births and not mothers to take account of multiple births.