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Subarachnoid versus epidural bupivacaine 0.5% for caesarean section
Author(s) -
Hansen S. Helbo,
Bang U.,
Garcia R. S.,
Olesen A. S.,
Kjeldsen L.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
acta anaesthesiologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1399-6576
pISSN - 0001-5172
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-6576.1988.tb02769.x
Subject(s) - medicine , bupivacaine , anesthesia , caesarean section , combined spinal epidural , epidural block , spinal cord , shivering , surgery , intrathecal , pregnancy , psychiatry , biology , genetics
In order to compare subarachnoid (spinal) and epidural block for caesarean section, 40 women were randomly allocated to spinal or epidural analgesia with bupivacaine. The median dose of bupivacaine was 13 mg in the spinal group versus 155 mg in the epidural group. The mean time from induction to delivery was 32 min shorter in the spinal group ( P < 0.001). In the spinal group one woman was excluded because of spontaneous labour. Three patients in the spinal and one in the epidural group failed to develop adequate analgesia to initiate surgery. For the remaining patients both techniques provided good analgesia during operation. Postoperatively, epidural block provided better pain relief. The patients in the epidural group had a lower pain score during the first 4 h after the operation ( P <0.01). In spite of similar haemodynamic changes in the two groups, the mean base deficit in umbilical cord blood at delivery was higher in the spinal group ( P <0.05).