Gonen Ohel1, Roni Gonen, Sonia Vaida, Shlomi Barak, Luis Gaitini. 1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Bnai Zion Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. gonen.ohel@b-zion.org.il
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether early initiation of epidural analgesia in nulliparous women affects the rate of cesarean sections and other obstetric outcome measures. STUDY DESIGN: A randomized trial in which 449 at term nulliparous women in early labor, at less than 3 cm of cervical dilatation, were assigned to either immediate initiation of epidural analgesia at first request (221 women), or delay of epidural until the cervix dilated to at least 4 cm (228 women). RESULTS: At initiation of the epidural the mean cervical dilatation was 2.4 cm in the early epidural group and 4.6 cm in the late group (P < 0.0001). The rates of cesarean section were not significantly different between the groups--13% and 11% in the early and late groups, respectively (P = 0.77). The mean duration from randomization to full dilatation was significantly shorter in the early compared to the late epidural group--5.9 hours and 6.6 hours respectively (P = 0.04). When questioned after delivery regarding their next labor, the women indicated a preference for early epidural. CONCLUSION: Initiation of epidural analgesia in early labor, following the first request for epidural, did not result in increased cesarean deliveries, instrumental vaginal deliveries, and other adverse effects; furthermore, it was associated with shorter duration of the first stage of labor and was clearly preferred by the women.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether early initiation of epidural analgesia in nulliparous women affects the rate of cesarean sections and other obstetric outcome measures. STUDY DESIGN: A randomized trial in which 449 at term nulliparous women in early labor, at less than 3 cm of cervical dilatation, were assigned to either immediate initiation of epidural analgesia at first request (221 women), or delay of epidural until the cervix dilated to at least 4 cm (228 women). RESULTS: At initiation of the epidural the mean cervical dilatation was 2.4 cm in the early epidural group and 4.6 cm in the late group (P < 0.0001). The rates of cesarean section were not significantly different between the groups--13% and 11% in the early and late groups, respectively (P = 0.77). The mean duration from randomization to full dilatation was significantly shorter in the early compared to the late epidural group--5.9 hours and 6.6 hours respectively (P = 0.04). When questioned after delivery regarding their next labor, the women indicated a preference for early epidural. CONCLUSION: Initiation of epidural analgesia in early labor, following the first request for epidural, did not result in increased cesarean deliveries, instrumental vaginal deliveries, and other adverse effects; furthermore, it was associated with shorter duration of the first stage of labor and was clearly preferred by the women.
Authors: Grace Lim; Francesca L Facco; Naveen Nathan; Jonathan H Waters; Cynthia A Wong; Holger K Eltzschig Journal: Anesthesiology Date: 2018-07 Impact factor: 7.892
Authors: Marcus Schenck; Catarina Schenck; Herbert Rübben; Martin Stuschke; Tim Schneider; Andreas Eisenhardt; Roberto Rossi Journal: World J Urol Date: 2012-11-16 Impact factor: 4.226
Authors: Alberto Jiménez-Puente; Nicolás Benítez-Parejo; Jorge Del Diego-Salas; Francisco Rivas-Ruiz; Claudio Maañón-Di Leo Journal: BMC Health Serv Res Date: 2012-07-20 Impact factor: 2.655