[Plasma levels of beta-endorphins and ACTH in labor with continuous peridural analgesia]. / Dosaggio plasmatico di beta-endorfine e ACTH nel travaglio di parto in analgesia peridurale continua.

In order to investigate whether continuous lumbar epidural analgesia is associated with alterations of plasma levels of beta-endorphins and ACTH, we have studied a group (A) of patients under epidural analgesia and a matched group of control (B) at different stages of labour. Plasma levels of beta-endorphins and ACTH in group A did not significantly change during the labour, while in group B beta-endorphins and ACTH increased in the second stage of labour and decreased thereafter one hour after delivery. The levels of beta-endorphins and ACTH in umbilical cord mix blood were elevated in both groups.

[Comparison of the use of classic diazoanalgesia in surgery and an applicative variant with buprenorphine]. / Confronto sull'uso in chirurgia della diazoanalgesia classica e di una variante applicativa con buprenorfina.

The authors have compared two different techniques of anaesthesia: the classical anaesthesia with benzodiazepine-analgesic (diazepam and fentanyl) and one of its variant obtained by using flunitrazepam and buprenorphine. The 45 patients submitted to gynaecological surgery were causally divided in two groups in connection with the two different anaesthesiological techniques. The clinical and statistical analysis of the collected data demonstrated the real validity of this anaesthesiological variant: either for premedication by perfect anxiolysis and sedation, or for the maintenance by low incidence on cardiocirculation system and perfect analgesia that extended its effects for many hours after surgical operation.

[Ketamine and analgesia during labor]. / Ketamina ed analgesia da parto.

Ketamine, owing to the numerous contraindications in pregnant women, gives selective childbirth analgesis. The results obtained in 80 cases of analgesia (60 treated in dilatation period and 20 during expulsion) are reported. The drug's absolute non-toxicity (as observed in quoted experimental studies) together with the labour response and effects on the foetus and mother (tested in most cases with cardiotocography and haemogasanalysis) suggest that ketamine is useful in obstetric analgesia.