RESUMO
BACKGROUND: This study was done to compare vacuum delivery and cesarean section rates in a large population before and after on-demand labor epidural analgesia became available. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated the overall sets of delivery modes in patients who gave birth during a 12-month period before the introduction of on-demand labor epidural analgesia, and those giving birth after labor epidural analgesia became available. Additionally, we compared the rates of cesarean section or vacuum delivery in patients delivering before and after the availability of on-demand labor epidural. RESULTS: Included were 3905 patients who delivered before, and 4318 patients who delivered after epidural analgesia became available. Labor epidural rates were 0.3% vs 14.7% for the before and after groups. The rates of cesarean delivery for dystocia in primary cesarean operation did not change (10% vs 10.5%), and vacuum delivery rates in the total vaginal delivery patients were not changed (15.1% vs 14.7%) for the before and after group. CONCLUSIONS: Increased epidural analgesia did not change the overall cesarean delivery rates for dystocia and vacuum - assisted delivery rates.