Clinical evaluation of 2 years experience of epidural analgesia for labor: a retrospective study

ABSTRACT

The use of epidural analgesia [EA] for labour was introduced to clinical practice in 1931 hesitantly. By time, this method of pain relief has become the first choice for many labouring women. This retrospective study was planned to assess the degree of patient's satisfaction and the incidence of side effects related to EA for labour which was done in United Doctors Hospital in Jeddah over 2 years period. The study demonstrated that maternal satisfaction was affected by maternal age, weight, the source of information about EA, previous experience with epidurals before and the length of delivery. AE did not affect the rate of caesarean delivery and the fetal outcome was excellent. Side-effects recorded included backache, itching, shivering and vomiting. The overall satisfaction with EA was 93.3% which was comparable to results from other institutions. Epidural analgesia for labour is a well established method of pain relief during labour and should be encouraged to be practiced by anesthetists and to be accepted by more patients as well