Subcutaneous vs intravenous fentanyl for labor pain management: a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Labor pain is the most intense pain a woman will experience during her lifetime. Epidural anesthesia is recommended as the most effective method for pain relief, but it has several limitations. Fentanyl has high analgesic potency with short-acting duration, but the large-scale trials that assessed the effectiveness and safety of it for labor pain management are still limited. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness and harm and maternal satisfaction of subcutaneous vs intravenous fentanyl for labor pain management. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a multicenter, open-label randomized controlled trial. A total of 226 women were randomized to receive intravenous or subcutaneous fentanyl for labor pain management. Pain scores were evaluated before and after fentanyl administration at 5, 30, and 60 minutes and then every 60 minutes until delivery. The data were analyzed based on the intention-to-treat principle. RESULTS: Both intravenous and subcutaneous fentanyl significantly decreased labor pain from baseline to delivery (overall mean change, -1.39; 95% confidence interval, -1.62 to -1.17; and -0.89; 95% confidence interval, -1.24 to -0.05, respectively). The reduction in the pain score between the 2 groups was not different (overall mean difference, -0.35; 95% confidence interval, -0.76 to 0.05). Maternal satisfaction was high for both intravenous and subcutaneous fentanyl (89.4% and 93.8%, respectively). There was no difference in the maternal satisfaction rate between the 2 groups (relative risk, 0.95; 95% confidence interval, 0.88-1.03). No serious maternal and neonatal adverse effects were observed. CONCLUSION: Both intravenously and subcutaneously administered fentanyl were safe and significantly reduced pain from baseline to delivery among low-risk pregnancies. Maternal satisfaction with the childbirth experience was high regardless of the route of administration of fentanyl. No serious adverse effects of fentanyl were observed in either the mothers or the neonates.

Fentanyl for labour pain management: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Labour pain has been identified as an important reason for women to prefer caesarean section (CS). Fentanyl is one of the short acting opioids recommended by World Health Organization for pain relief during labour. This study aimed to identify and describe the available evidence on the use of fentanyl (monotherapy) for labour pain management by any routes of administration or regime. METHODS: We included the records published until 31 December 2021 which reported administration of fentanyl to women with normal labour for labour pain relief. Data were extracted by one reviewer and checked by another reviewer using a standardised agreement form. We mapped and presented data descriptively in figure and tabular format. RESULTS: We included 51 records from 49 studies in our scoping review. The studies were conducted in 12 countries, mostly high-income countries. The study designs of the 51 included records were varied as follows: 38 (74.5%) experimental studies (35 randomised controlled trials and three quasi-experimental studies), and 12 (23.5%) observational studies (five retrospective cohort studies, four prospective cohort studies, two retrospective descriptive studies, and one descriptive study) and one qualitative study. Of the included records, six used intranasal fentanyl, five used subcutaneous fentanyl, 18 (35.3%) used intravenous fentanyl, 18 (35.3%) used intrathecal fentanyl, and nine used epidural fentanyl. Many records compared fentanyl with another analgesic agent while five records (9.8%) had no comparison group and seven records (13.7%) compared with no analgesia group. The doses of fentanyl varied by routes, study and the requirement depended on the women. Pain assessment was the most frequent outcome measure presented in the records (78.4%). Only nine records (17.6%) investigated women's satisfaction about labour pain relief using fentanyl and seven records (13.7%) reported the effect of fentanyl on breastfeeding. The most common reported neonatal outcomes were foetal heart rate (33 records, 64.7%) and Apgar score (32 records, 62.7%). CONCLUSION: There is limited primary evidence especially randomised controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness and harms of different routes of fentanyl in low- or middle-income countries. There is a need for high-quality research to establish the most effective route of fentanyl and associated effects for evidence-based international guidelines.

Fetal and Neonatal Modified Myocardial Performance Indices in Preeclamptic versus Normotensive Pregnancies: A Prospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare fetal and neonatal cardiac functions in terms of global, systolic, and diastolic function between the preeclampsia and normotensive blood pressure of pregnancies. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted at a university hospital in Northeast Thailand. Twenty-nine pregnancies diagnosed as preeclampsia with or without severe features were compared with 29 normotensive pregnancies. Global cardiac, systolic, and diastolic function were assessed at prenatal and postnatal periods, by a professionally trained obstetrician and pediatric cardiologist, respectively. RESULTS: The fetal left modified myocardium performance index (Mod-MPI) in preeclampsia and normotensive blood pressure were 0.60±0.08 and 0.59±0.08 (p-value=0.341), respectively, while fetal right Mod-MPI were 0.57±0.16 and 0.54±0.21 (p-value=0.861), respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in terms of fetal isovolumic contraction time (ICT), isovolumic relaxation time (IRT), ejection time (ET), aortic peak systolic velocity (Ao PSV), pulmonary artery peak systolic velocity (PA PSV), mitral valve (MV) E:A ratio, or tricuspid valve (TV) E:A ratios between the two groups. Neonatal mitral valve E peak systolic velocity (MV-E PV) in preeclamptic and normotensive blood pressure groups were significantly different at 51.1±8.02 cm/s and 43.56±5.21cm/s (p-value=0.036), respectively, whereas neonatal left Mod-MPI, mitral valve A peak systolic velocity (MV-A PV), MV E:A ratio, and Ao PSV were not significantly different (p-value=0.436, 0.119, 0.379, and 0.709), respectively. CONCLUSION: Neonatal MV-E PV of the preeclampsia group was significantly higher than the normotensive blood pressure group, while there were no statistically significant differences in terms of global cardiac and diastolic functions during the fetal period between two groups.

Normogram of fetal middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity at 20-37 weeks of gestation at Srinagarind Hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To establish normal references of fetal middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity (MCA PSV) at 20 to 37 weeks of gestation at Srinagarind Hospital. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed Normal fetuses at 20 to 37 weeks of gestation were studied by gray scale ultrasonography initially and then Doppler of MCA PSV. RESULTS: At least 18 pregnant women of each gestational age with an uncomplicated singleton were enrolled The MCA PSV was increased as gestational age advanced from 24.34 cm/sec (SD 3.91) at 20 weeks to 59.04 cm/sec (SD 10.80) at 37 weeks. CONCLUSION: A normogram of fetal MCA PSV at 20 to 37 weeks of gestation at Srinagarind hospital was generated.