Epidural analgesia in labor: A narrative review.
Lucy O E HallidayScott M NelsonRachel J KearnsPublished in: International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (2022)
Lumbar epidural is the most effective form of pain relief in labor with around 30% of laboring women in the UK and 60% in the USA receiving epidural analgesia. Associations of epidural on maternal, obstetric, and neonatal outcomes have been the subject of intense study, though a number of uncertainties persist. The present narrative review explores important areas of research surrounding epidural analgesia in obstetric patients including methods of initiation and administration, choice of local anesthetic solution, and the addition of adjuvants. Key meta-analyses exploring associations of epidural analgesia on maternal and neonatal outcomes are identified and summarized.
Keyphrases
- spinal cord
- pain management
- postoperative pain
- ultrasound guided
- neuropathic pain
- pregnant women
- meta analyses
- pregnancy outcomes
- chronic pain
- systematic review
- spinal cord injury
- ejection fraction
- randomized controlled trial
- newly diagnosed
- polycystic ovary syndrome
- prognostic factors
- birth weight
- metabolic syndrome
- adipose tissue
- patient reported