Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T11:48:41.316Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Maternal and fetal effects of adrenaline with bupivacaine (0.25%) for epidural analgesia during labour

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 August 2006

M. Dounas ,
B. O'Kelly ,
S. Jamali ,
F. J. Mercier  and
D. Benhamou
M. Dounas
Affiliation:
Département d'Anesthésie-Réanimation, Hôpital Antoine Béclère, 157 rue de la Porte de Trivaux, 92141 Clamart Cedex, France
B. O'Kelly
Affiliation:
Present address: National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
S. Jamali
Affiliation:
Département d'Anesthésie-Réanimation, Hôpital Antoine Béclère, 157 rue de la Porte de Trivaux, 92141 Clamart Cedex, France
F. J. Mercier
Affiliation:
Département d'Anesthésie-Réanimation, Hôpital Antoine Béclère, 157 rue de la Porte de Trivaux, 92141 Clamart Cedex, France
D. Benhamou
Affiliation:
Département d'Anesthésie-Réanimation, Hôpital Antoine Béclère, 157 rue de la Porte de Trivaux, 92141 Clamart Cedex, France
Get access

Abstract

The use of adrenaline added to bupivacaine during epidural analgesia for labour is controversial. The effects of epidural analgesia with bupivacaine containing adrenaline on maternal blood pressure and heart rate, uterine activity, progress of labour, fetal heart rate and Apgar scores, were assessed using visual analogue pain scores, upper level of sensory block and motor blockade in 60 parturients who were allocated randomly to receive: 10 mL of bupivacaine 0.25% plain (group I) or with adrenaline 5 μg mL−1 (group II) or with adrenaline 1.66 μg mL−1 (group III).

The first stage of labour was significantly longer in group II than in group I [414 ± 49 vs. 296 ± 24 min (± SD)]. There were no other significant differences. It is concluded that adrenaline at 5 μg mL−1 significantly prolongs the first stage of labour. Neither adrenaline 5 μg mL−1 nor 1.66 μg mL−1 has any beneficial effect.

Keywords

analgesiaobstetricanaesthetic techniquesepidurallocal anaestheticbupivacaineadrenaline
Type
Original Article
Information
European Journal of Anaesthesiology , Volume 13 , Issue 6 , November 1996 , pp. 594 - 598
Copyright
1996 European Society of Anaesthesiology

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)