Automated mandatory bolus versus basal infusion for maintenance of epidural analgesia in labour.

BACKGROUND: Epidural analgesia is often used for pain relief during labour and childbirth, and involves administration of local anaesthetics (LA) into the epidural space resulting in sensory blockade of the abdomen, pelvis, and perineum. Epidural opioids are often co-administered to improve analgesia. Administration of epidural medications can be accomplished by basal infusion (BI) or automated mandatory bolus (AMB). With BI, medications are administered continuously, while AMB involves injecting medications at set time intervals. Patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) on top of AMB or BI enables patients to initiate additional boluses of epidural medications.  The superior method of delivering epidural medications would result in lower incidence of pain requiring anaesthesiologist intervention (breakthrough pain). Also, it should be associated with lower incidence of epidural-related adverse effects including caesarean delivery, instrumental delivery (use of forceps or vacuum devices), prolonged duration of labour analgesia, and LA consumption. However, clear evidence of the superiority of one technique over the other is lacking. Also, differences in the initiation of epidural analgesia such as combined spinal-epidural (CSE) (medications given into the intrathecal space in addition to the epidural space) compared to epidural only, and medications used (types and doses of LA or opioids) may not have been accounted for in previous reviews.  Our prior systematic review suggested that AMB reduces the incidence of breakthrough pain compared to BI with no significant difference in the incidence of caesarean delivery or instrumental delivery, duration of labour analgesia, and LA consumption. However, several studies comparing AMB and BI have been performed since then, and inclusion of their data may improve the precision of our effect estimates. OBJECTIVES: To assess the benefits and harms of AMB versus BI for maintaining labour epidural analgesia in women at term. SEARCH METHODS: We searched CENTRAL, Wiley Cochrane Library), MEDLINE, (National Library of Medicine), Embase(Elseiver), Web of Science (Clarivate), the WHO-ICTRP (World Health Organization) and ClinicalTrials.gov (National Library of Medicine) on 31 December 2022. Additionally, we screened the reference lists of relevant trials and reviews for eligible citations, and we contacted authors of included studies to identify unpublished research and ongoing trials. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included all randomised controlled studies that compared bolus dosing AMB with continuous BI during epidural analgesia. We excluded studies of women in preterm labour, with multiple pregnancies, with fetal malposition, intrathecal catheters, those that did not use automated delivery of medications, and those where AMB and BI were combined. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used standard methodology for systematic review and meta-analysis described by Cochrane. Primary outcomes included: incidence of breakthrough pain requiring anaesthesiologist intervention; incidence of caesarean delivery; and incidence of instrumental delivery. Secondly, we assessed the duration of labour; hourly LA consumption in bupivacaine equivalents, maternal satisfaction after fetal delivery, and neonatal Apgar scores.  The following subgroup analyses were chosen a priori: epidural alone versus CSE technique; regimens that used PCEA versus those that did not; and nulliparous versus combination of nulli- and multi-parous women. We used the GRADE system to assess the certainty of evidence associated with our outcome measures. MAIN RESULTS: We included 18 studies of 4590 women, of which 13 enrolled healthy nulliparous women and five included healthy nulli- and multiparous women. All studies excluded women with preterm or complicated pregnancies. Techniques used to initiate epidural analgesia differed between the studies: seven used combined spinal epidural, 10 used epidural, and one used dural puncture epidural (DPE). There was also variation in analgesics used. Eight studies utilised ropivacaine with fentanyl, three used ropivacaine with sufentanil, two utilised levobupivacaine with sufentanil, one used levobupivacaine with fentanyl, and four utilised bupivacaine with fentanyl. Most of the studies were assessed to have low risk of randomisation, blinding, attrition, and reporting biases, except for allocation concealment where eight studies were assessed to have uncertain risk and three with high risk. Our results showed that AMB was associated with lower incidence of breakthrough pain compared to BI (risk ratio (RR) 0.71; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.55 to 0.91; I2 = 57%) (16 studies, 1528 participants), and lower hourly LA consumption in bupivacaine equivalents (mean difference (MD) -0.84 mg/h; 95% CI -1.29 to -0.38, I2 = 87%) (16 studies, 1642 participants), both with moderate certainty. AMB was associated with an estimated reduction in breakthrough pain incidence of 29.1% (incidence 202 per 1000, 95% CI 157 to 259), and was therefore considered clinically significant. The incidence of caesarean delivery (RR 0.85; 95% CI 0.69 to 1.06; I2 = 0%) (16 studies, 1735 participants) and instrumental delivery (RR 0.85; 95% CI 0.71 to 1.01; I2 = 0%) (17 studies, 4550 participants) were not significantly, both with moderate certainty. There was no significant difference in duration of labour analgesia (MD -8.81 min; 95% CI -19.38 to 1.77; I2 = 50%) (17 studies, 4544 participants) with moderate certainty. Due to differences in the methods and timing of outcome measurements, we did not pool data for maternal satisfaction and Apgar scores. Results reported narratively suggest AMB may be associated with increased maternal satisfaction (eight studies reported increased satisfaction and six reported no difference), and all studies showed no difference in Apgar scores. WIth the exception of epidural alone versus CSE which found significant subgroup differences in LA consumption between AMB and BI, no significant differences were detected in the remaining subgroup analyses. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Overall, AMB is associated with lower incidence of breakthrough pain, reduced LA consumption, and may improve maternal satisfaction. There were no significant differences between AMB and BI in the incidence of caesarean delivery, instrumental delivery, duration of labour analgesia, and Apgar scores. Larger studies assessing the incidence of caesarean and instrumental delivery are required.

Investigating the association factors of acute postpartum pain: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Labor pain intensity is known to predict persistent postpartum pain, whereas acute postpartum pain may interfere with maternal postpartum physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Nevertheless, there is little research studying the association between labor pain intensity and acute postpartum pain. This study investigated the associations between labor pain intensity and psychological factors with acute postpartum pain. METHODS: We included women with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status II, having ≥ 36 gestational weeks and a singleton pregnancy. We investigated the association between labor pain intensity (primary exposure) and high acute postpartum pain at 0 to 24 h after delivery (Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) ≥ 3 of 10; primary outcome). Pre-delivery questionnaires including Angle Labor Pain Questionnaire (A-LPQ), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), Fear Avoidance Components Scale (FACS) and State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were administered. Demographic, pain, obstetric and neonatal characteristics were also collected accordingly. RESULTS: Of the 880 women studied, 121 (13.8%) had high acute postpartum pain at 0 to 24 h after delivery. A-LPQ total, PCS, FACS and STAI scores were not significantly associated with acute postpartum pain. Greater A-LPQ subscale on birthing pain (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.03, 95% CI 1.01-1.05, p = 0.0008), increased blood loss during delivery (for every 10ml change; aOR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00-1.03, p = 0.0148), presence of shoulder dystocia (aOR 10.06, 95% CI 2.28-44.36, p = 0.0023), and use of pethidine for labor analgesia (aOR 1.74, 95% CI 1.07-2.84, p = 0.0271) were independently associated with high acute postpartum pain. "Sometimes" having nausea during menstruation before current pregnancy (aOR 0.34, 95% CI 0.16-0.72, p = 0.0045) was found to be independently associated with reduced risk of high acute postpartum pain. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-delivery pain factor together with obstetric complications (shoulder dystocia, blood loss during delivery) were independently associated with high acute postpartum pain. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov registry (NCT03167905) on 30/05/2017.

Effect of music listening on perioperative anxiety, acute pain and pain catastrophizing in women undergoing elective cesarean delivery: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety may adversely impact mother and her newborn. Music listening is a safe and efficacious treatment that may to reduce perioperative anxiety. The effect on acute pain and pain catastrophizing scores remains unclear. We aimed to determine whether perioperative music listening reduces anxiety, acute pain, and pain catastrophizing scale (PCS) scores following elective cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia. METHODS: After randomization into music listening and control groups, baseline patient characteristics, visual analog scale-anxiety (VAS-A) scores, pain scores, PCS total and sub-scores, and music preferences were collected preoperatively. Before surgery, parturients in the experimental group listened to music of their own choice for 30 min. Music listening was continued during administration of spinal anesthesia and cesarean delivery, and for 30 min following surgery. Postoperative VAS-A score, acute pain score, PCS scores, music preferences, satisfaction score, and feedback were recorded. RESULTS: We analyzed 108 parturients (music: n = 53; control: n = 55). Music listening was associated with reduced postoperative VAS-A (mean difference (MD) -1.43, 95%CI -0.63 to -2.22), PCS total score (MD -6.39, 95%CI -2.11 to -10.66), PCS sub-scores on rumination (MD -1.68, 95%CI -0.12 to -3.25), magnification (MD -1.53, 95%CI -0.45 to -2.62), and helplessness (MD -3.17, 95%CI -1.29 to -5.06) sub-scores. There was no significant difference in postoperative acute pain scores. The majority (> 95%) of parturients reported "excellent" and "good" satisfaction with music listening, and most provided positive feedback. CONCLUSION: Perioperative music listening was associated with reduced postoperative anxiety and lower pain catastrophizing. Based on the good patient satisfaction and positive feedback received, the use of music listening in the obstetric setting is recommended. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered on Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03415620 on 30/01/2018.

Evaluating an advanced double intravenous vasopressor automated system to treat hypotension during spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The optimal treatment of hypotension during spinal anaesthesia is uncertain. A novel double intravenous vasopressor automated (DIVA) system reduces hypotension compared to standard care, and was subsequently modified to an advanced-DIVA (ADIVA) system. The primary objective was to compare ADIVA versus DIVA on incidence of hypotension (systolic BP (SBP) < 80% baseline). METHODS: We conducted a randomized-controlled trial in women undergoing elective cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia. SBP and heart rate were measured continuously using a Nexfin monitor. ADIVA delivered 25 µg phenylephrine (heart rate > 60 beats.min-1) or 2 mg ephedrine (heart rate < 60 beats.min-1) at SBP 90 to 110% of baseline, 50 µg phenylephrine or 4 mg ephedrine at SBP 80 to 90%, and 75 µg phenylephrine or 6 mg ephedrine at SBP < 80%. ADIVA calculated the trend of SBP; vasopressors were administered rapidly if SBP trended downward, or 30 s if SBP trended upward. In contrast, DIVA delivered 25 µg phenylephrine or 2 mg ephedrine at SBP 90 to 100% of baseline, and 50 µg phenylephrine or 4 mg ephedrine at SBP < 90%. Boluses were followed by a 10-s lockout. Other outcomes included hypertension (SBP > 120% baseline), vasopressor consumption, clinical outcomes, and performance measures from spinal anesthesia to fetal delivery. RESULTS: We analyzed 94 parturients (ADIVA: n = 46, DIVA: n = 48), with no difference in the incidence of hypotension between ADIVA (78.3%) and DIVA (83.3%, p = 0.677). ADIVA had significantly higher proportion of hypotensive SBP readings, lower phenylephrine consumption and higher umbilical arterial pH. There was no difference in hypertension, bradycardia, ephedrine consumption, intravenous fluid volume, nausea/vomiting, Apgar scores, and umbilical venous pH or lactate. ADIVA maintained SBP higher above baseline with greater fluctuation than DIVA. CONCLUSION: ADIVA was associated with a greater proportion of hypotensive SBP readings, reduced phenylephrine consumption, and increased umbilical arterial pH than DIVA. Further research is needed to determine the optimal method of vasopressor delivery in parturients undergoing cesarean delivery. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered on Clinicaltrials.gov registry (NCT03620942) on 08/08/2018.

Heart rate variability and haemodynamic factors associated with hypotension during spinal anaesthesia for caesarean delivery: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Hypotension frequently occurs during spinal anaesthesia for caesarean delivery, with potential adverse effects. OBJECTIVE: To investigate heart rate variability and haemodynamic factors associated with spinal anaesthesia-induced hypotension. DESIGN: Secondary case-control analysis of a randomised study. SETTING: Single obstetric centre. PATIENTS: Data were obtained from 230 healthy term singleton parturients who underwent elective caesarean delivery under spinal anaesthesia. INTERVENTION: With parturients at rest, continuous haemodynamic measurements were recorded using a Nexfin cardiac monitor. Baseline pre-operative values were defined as the average of five minutes of continuous measurements. After initiation of standardised spinal anaesthesia, vasopressors were administered to maintain SBP within 10% of pre-operative values. Hypotension was defined as any 10 seconds average SBP less than 80% of pre-operative values from initiation of spinal anaesthesia to foetal delivery. Parturients were classified into cases (hypotensive) or controls (normotensive), and both univariate and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify independent factors associated with hypotension. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pre-operative standard deviation of the interbeat interval (SDNN), root mean square of successive interbeat difference, low-frequency to high-frequency ratio, SD1, SD2, approximate entropy, sample entropy, mean arterial pressure, SBP, stroke volume variation and systemic vascular resistance index were recorded, as were sensory block height, intravenous fluid volume and vasopressor use between spinal anaesthesia and foetal delivery. RESULTS: Of 230 parturients, 113 (49.1%) experienced hypotension. Pre-operative lower SDNN [odds ratio (OR) 0.87, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.78 to 0.97], higher SD2 (OR 25.06, 95% CI 2.41 to 261.06), and lower SBP (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.97 to 1.00) were independently associated with hypotension. Between spinal anaesthesia to foetal delivery, lower sensory block height (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.90) and higher intravenous fluid volume (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.96 to 0.99 per 15 ml change) were associated with a lower incidence of hypotension. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.701. CONCLUSION: Pre-operative higher SD2, lower SDNN and lower SBP were associated with hypotension during spinal anaesthesia for caesarean delivery. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02277730.

An advanced double intravenous vasopressor automated system to treat hypotension during spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: During spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section, haemodynamic instability may lead to maternal and foetal complications. We developed a novel advanced double intravenous vasopressor automated system (ADIVA) by using a continuous blood pressure and heart rate monitor. Treatment of hypotension was based on three criteria: the drug (phenylephrine or ephedrine) according to the heart rate; the dose of vasopressor determined by the degree of hypotension; a fast or slow bolus of vasopressor administered depending on whether there was a negative or positive gradient of SBP changes, respectively. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the feasibility of the ADIVA algorithm. DESIGN: A prospective pilot study. SETTING: Single obstetrics and gynaecology centre in Singapore. PATIENTS: Women undergoing elective caesarean delivery under spinal anaesthesia. INTERVENTION: Automated administration of ephedrine or phenylephrine based on changes in blood pressure and heart rate (via the ADIVA algorithm) detected on continuous noninvasive haemodynamic monitoring using noninvasive continuous haemodynamic monitor (Nexfin). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the incidence of hypotension, defined as SBP less than 80% of baseline. The secondary outcome measures were reactive hypertension, total vasopressor requirement, maternal and neonatal outcomes and system performance. RESULTS: Forty-five women were recruited. Thirty-one women (69.9%) had at least one reading of hypotension. SBP was within ±20% of the baseline in a mean ±â€ŠSD of 79.7 ±â€Š17.6% of measurements. Forty-four (97.8%) women required phenylephrine before delivery, while 15 (33.3%) required ephedrine. No rescue medications were required. Three women (6.7%) had nausea and two (4.4%) vomiting. All neonates had APGAR scores of 9 at 5 min. CONCLUSION: The ADIVA system, with noninvasive continuous haemodynamic monitoring, was able to maintain maternal SBP within ±20% of baseline for the vast majority of the measurements. This system had good maternal and foetal outcomes with minimal intervention from the attending anaesthetist. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03620942.

Machine learning approach to needle insertion site identification for spinal anesthesia in obese patients.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasonography for neuraxial anesthesia is increasingly being used to identify spinal structures and the identification of correct point of needle insertion to improve procedural success, in particular in obesity. We developed an ultrasound-guided automated spinal landmark identification program to assist anesthetists on spinal needle insertion point with a graphical user interface for spinal anesthesia. METHODS: Forty-eight obese patients requiring spinal anesthesia for Cesarean section were recruited in this prospective cohort study. We utilized a developed machine learning algorithm to determine the needle insertion point using automated spinal landmark ultrasound imaging of the lumbar spine identifying the L3/4 interspinous space (longitudinal view) and the posterior complex of dura mater (transverse view). The demographic and clinical characteristics were also recorded. RESULTS: The first attempt success rate for spinal anesthesia was 79.1% (38/48) (95%CI 65.0 - 89.5%), followed by successful second attempt of 12.5% (6/48), third attempt of 4.2% (2/48) and 4th attempt (4.2% or 2/48). The scanning duration of L3/4 interspinous space and the posterior complex were 21.0 [IQR: 17.0, 32.0] secs and 11.0 [IQR: 5.0, 22.0] secs respectively. There is good correlation between the program recorded depth of the skin to posterior complex and clinician measured depth (r = 0.915). CONCLUSIONS: The automated spinal landmark identification program is able to provide assistance to needle insertion point identification in obese patients. There is good correlation between program recorded and clinician measured depth of the skin to posterior complex of dura mater. Future research may involve imaging algorithm improvement to assist with needle insertion guidance during neuraxial anesthesia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov registry ( NCT03687411 ) on 22 Aug 2018.

Factors associated with an increased risk of instrumental vaginal delivery in women with epidural analgesia for labour: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Epidural analgesia is the most effective form of labour analgesia, but is associated with an increased risk of instrumental delivery. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate factors that are associated with an increased risk of instrumental delivery. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort data study. SETTING: Singapore's major public maternity institution. PATIENTS: All obstetric patients who received labour epidural analgesia for vaginal delivery between January 2012 to December 2015. INTERVENTION: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Our primary outcome was the incidence of instrumental delivery. RESULTS: Out of 17 227 pregnant women who received labour epidural analgesia, 12% (n = 2069) had instrumental delivery. Independent factors associated with an increased risk of instrumental delivery included maternal factors [nulliparity (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.97, 95% CI 2.61 to 3.39, P < 0.0001] and advanced maternal age (aOR 1.04, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.05, P < 0.0001)). Greater maternal height (aOR 0.18, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.40), P < 0.0001) was associated with a reduced risk of instrumental delivery. Significant labour-related factors increasing the risk of an instrumental delivery were the use of prostin (aOR 1.19, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.32, P = 0.0014), pre-epidural analgesia (aOR 1.16, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.28, P = 0.0040), a longer second stage of labour (aOR 1.23, 95% CI 1.20 to 1.26, P < 0.0001), higher infant birth weight (aOR 1.27, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.43, P = 0.0002) and an epidural performed by a senior anaesthetist (aOR 1.94, 95% CI 1.72 to 2.18, P < 0.0001). Labour epidural-related factors for an increased risk of instrumental delivery were the occurrence of breakthrough pain (aOR 1.55, 95% CI 1.37 to 1.76, P < 0.0001), a more dense motor block (aOR 1.14, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.25, P = 0.0097) and having an epidural infusion stopped at full cervical dilatation (aOR 1.18, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.32, P = 0.0048) [receiver operating characteristic (ROC) = 0.75]. CONCLUSIONS: The multivariate model generated would help identify women at higher risk of instrumental delivery, which can help clinicians to address potentially modifiable factors and improve clinical care.

Correlation of patient characteristics with arm and finger measurements in Asian parturients: a preliminary study.

BACKGROUND: Accurate blood pressure (BP) measurement depends on appropriate cuff size and shape in relation to the arm. Arm dimensions outside the recommended range of cuff sizes or trunco-conical arms may result in inaccurate BP measurements. Measuring BP using finger cuffs is a potential solution. Arm cuff size is based on mid-arm circumference (MAC), and trunco-conicity is quantified by conicity index. We aimed to determine the correlation of MAC, body mass index (BMI), and weight with conicity index. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted in the KK Women's and Children's Hospital where third trimester parturients scheduled for cesarean delivery were recruited after obtaining informed consent. Parturients were asked to rate their experience with time taken to obtain BP readings, cuff popping off during measurement, need to move the cuff from the upper arm to lower arm or leg, and need to change to a different cuff. Our primary outcome was the correlation between MAC and conicity index, calculated using Pearson's correlation. The correlation between BMI and weight with conicity index was also determined. RESULTS: We enrolled 300 parturients. Moderate correlation was found between left MAC and left conicity index (r = 0.41, 95% CI 0.32 to 0.51), and right MAC and right conicity index (r = 0.39, 95% CI 0.29 to 0.48). Weight (r = 0.35 to 0.39) and BMI (r = 0.41 to 0.43) correlated with conicity index in this study. MAC of 1 parturient fell outside the recommended range for arm cuffs, but all parturients fit into available finger cuffs. Obese parturients had increased problems with arm cuffs popping off and needing a change of cuff. CONCLUSIONS: BMI better correlated with conicity index compared to MAC or weight. Standard finger cuffs were suitable for all parturients studied and may be a suitable alternative. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT04012151 . Registered 9 Jul 2019.

A preliminary assessment of vital-signs-integrated patient-assisted intravenous opioid analgesia (VPIA) for postsurgical pain.

BACKGROUND: We developed a Vital-signs-integrated Patient-assisted Intravenous opioid Analgesia (VPIA) analgesic infusion pump, a closed-loop vital signs monitoring and drug delivery system which embodied in a novel algorithm that took into account patients' vital signs (oxygen saturation, heart rate). The system aimed to allow responsive titration of personalized pain relief to optimize pain relief and reduce the risk of respiratory depression. Moreover, the system would be important to enable continuous monitoring of patients during delivery of opioid analgesia. METHODS: Nineteen patients who underwent elective gynecological surgery with postoperative patient controlled analgesia (PCA) with morphine were recruited. The subjects were followed up from their admission to the recovery room/ ward for at least 24 h until assessment of patient satisfaction on the VPIA analgesic infusion pump. RESULTS: The primary outcome measure of incidence of oxygen desaturation showed all patients had at least one episode of oxygen desaturation (< 95%) during the study period. Only 6 (31.6%) patients had oxygen desaturation that persisted for more than 5 min. The median percentage time spent during treatment that oxygen saturation fell below 95% was 1.9%. Fourteen (73.7%) out of 19 patients encountered safety pause, due to transient oxygen desaturation or bradycardia. The patients' median [IQR] pain scores at rest and at movement after post-op 24 h were 0.0 [2.0] and 3.0 [2.0], respectively. The average morphine consumption in the first 24 h was 12.5 ± 7.1 mg. All patients were satisfied with their experience with the VPIA analgesic infusion pump. CONCLUSIONS: The use of VPIA analgesic infusion pump, when integrated with continuous vital signs monitor and variable lockout algorithm, was able to provide pain relief with good patient satisfaction. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov registry (NCT02804022) on 28 Feb 2016.

The effects of labor on airway outcomes with Supreme™ laryngeal mask in women undergoing cesarean delivery under general anesthesia: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy is associated with higher incidence of failed endotracheal intubation and is exacerbated by labor. However, the influence of labor on airway outcomes with laryngeal mask airway (LMA) for cesarean delivery is unknown. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study on LMA use during cesarean delivery. Healthy parturients who fasted > 4 h undergoing Category 2 or 3 cesarean delivery with Supreme™ LMA (sLMA) under general anesthesia were included. We excluded parturients with BMI > 35 kg/m2, gastroesophageal reflux disease, or potentially difficult airway (Mallampati score of 4, upper respiratory tract or neck pathology). Anesthesia and airway management reflected clinical standard at the study center. After rapid sequence induction and cricoid pressure, sLMA was inserted as per manufacturer's recommendations. Our primary outcome was time to effective ventilation (time from when sLMA was picked up until appearance of end-tidal carbon dioxide capnography), and secondary outcomes include first-attempt insertion failure, oxygen saturation, ventilation parameters, mucosal trauma, pulmonary aspiration, and Apgar scores. Differences between labor status were tested using Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, or Fisher's exact test, as appropriate. Quantitative associations between labor status and outcomes were determined using univariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Data from 584 parturients were analyzed, with 37.8% in labor. Labor did not significantly affect time to effective ventilation (mean (SD) for labor: 16.0 (5.75) seconds; no labor: 15.3 (3.35); mean difference: -0.65 (95%CI: - 1.49 to 0.18); p = 0.1262). However, labor was associated with increased first-attempt insertion failure and blood on sLMA surface. No reduction in oxygen saturation or pulmonary aspiration was noted. CONCLUSIONS: Although no significant increase in time to effective ventilation was noted, labor may increase the number of insertion attempts and oropharyngeal trauma with sLMA use for cesarean delivery in parturients at low risk of difficult airway. Future studies should investigate the effects of labor on LMA use in high risk parturients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was prospectively registered at clinicaltrials.gov ( NCT02026882 ) on 3 January 2014.

The use of pre-operative virtual reality to reduce anxiety in women undergoing gynecological surgeries: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Pre-operative anxiety is common and is associated with negative surgical outcomes. Virtual reality (VR) is a promising new technology that offers opportunities to modulate patient experience and cognition and has been shown to be associated with lower levels of anxiety. In this study, we investigated changes in pre-operative anxiety levels before and after using VR in patients undergoing minor gynecological surgery. METHODS: Patients who underwent elective minor gynecological surgeries in KK Women's and Children's hospital, Singapore were recruited. The VR intervention consisted of 10-min exposure via a headset loaded with sceneries, background meditation music and breathing exercises. For the primary outcome of pre-operative anxiety, patients were assessed at pre- and post-intervention using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Secondary outcomes of self-reported satisfaction scores and EuroQol 5-dimension 3-level (EQ-5D-3L) were also collected. RESULTS: Data analysis from 108 patients revealed that HADS anxiety scores were significantly reduced from 7.2 ± 3.3 pre-intervention to 4.6 ± 3.0 post-intervention (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, HADS depression scores were significantly reduced from 4.7 ± 3.3 pre-intervention to 2.9 ± 2.5 post-intervention (p < 0.0001). Eighty-two percent of the patients self-reported VR intervention as 'Good' or 'Excellent'. EQ-5D-3L showed significant changes in dimensions of 'usual activities' (p = 0.025), 'pain/discomfort' (p = 0.008) and 'anxiety/ depression' (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: For patients undergoing minor gynecological procedures, the VR intervention brought about a significant reduction in pre-operative anxiety. This finding may be clinically important to benefit patients with high pre-operative anxiety without the use of anxiolytics. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov registry ( NCT03685422 ) on 26 Sep 2018.

Investigating the association between labour epidural analgesia and postpartum depression: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Postpartum depression (PPD) affects 10 to 15% of women and is associated with socio-economic burden and maternal morbidity. Recent studies showed that epidural analgesia may be associated with the development of PPD, although this association remains inconclusive. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of perinatal demographic, analgesic and psychological factors that may be related to PPD. DESIGN: Prospective, longitudinal multiethnic cohort study. SETTING: Singapore's two major public maternity institutions. PATIENTS: Pregnant women recruited during antenatal consultation and with follow-up 3 months postdelivery at Singapore hospitals with maternity services. INTERVENTION: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome of PPD was assessed 3 months postdelivery using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale to investigate an association with the use of labour epidural analgesia. The associations between PPD and anxiety and depression at 26 weeks' gestation predelivery were also evaluated. Demographic, analgesic, psychological factors and intrapartum data were analysed. RESULTS: There were 651 women with 152 cases (23.3%) of PPD and 499 controls (76.7%) at 3 months after childbirth. There was no significant difference between women who received labour epidural analgesia (95 of 385, 24.7%) and those who did not receive epidural analgesia (57 of 266, 21.4%) (unadjusted odds ratio 1.20, 95% confidence interval 0.83 to 1.75, P = 0.3361) in the incidence of PPD 3 months postdelivery. Predelivery anxiety and depression were positively associated with PPD 3 months postdelivery. CONCLUSION: Our study did not demonstrate an association between PPD at 3 months postdelivery and labour epidural analgesia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT01174875.

Factors associated with an inadvertent dural puncture or post-dural puncture headache following labour epidural analgesia: A retrospective cohort study.

Inadvertent dural puncture and post-dural puncture headache are complications of labour epidural analgesia and may result in acute and chronic morbidity. Identification of risk factors may enable pre-emptive management and reduce associated morbidity. In this retrospective cohort study, we aimed to identify factors associated with an inadvertent dural puncture or post-dural puncture headache by identifying parturients who received labour epidural analgesia from January 2017 to December 2021. The primary outcome was any witnessed inadvertent dural puncture, inadvertent placement of an intrathecal catheter, clinical diagnosis of post-dural puncture headache, or headache that was assessed to have characteristic post-dural puncture headache features. A wide range of demographic, obstetric, and anaesthetic factors were analysed using univariate and multivariable analyses to identify independent associations with the primary outcome. Data from 26,395 parturients were analysed, of whom 94 (0.36%) had the primary outcome. Within these 94 parturients, 26 (27.7%) had inadvertent dural puncture, 30 (31.9%) had inadvertent intrathecal catheter, and 38 (40.4%) had post-dural puncture headache without documented inadvertent dural puncture or intrathecal catheter insertion. Increased number of procedure attempts (adjusted odds ratio 1.39, 95% confidence interval 1.19 to 1.63), longer procedure duration adjusted odds ratio 1.03, 95% confidence interval 1.01 to 1.05), increased depth of epidural space (adjusted odds ratio 1.10, 95% confidence interval 1.04 to 1.18), greater post-procedure Bromage score (adjusted odds ratio 7.70, 95% confidence interval 4.22 to 14.05), and breakthrough pain (adjusted odds ratio 3.97, 95% confidence interval 2.59 to 6.08) were independently associated with increased odds of the primary outcome, while the use of standard patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) regimen (adjusted odds ratio 0.50, 95%confidence interval 0.31 to 0.81), increased concentration of ropivacaine (adjusted odds ratio 0.08 per 0.1%, 95% confidence interval 0.02 to 0.46), and greater satisfaction score (adjusted odds ratio 0.96, 95% confidence interval 0.95 to 0.97) were associated with reduced odds. The area under curve of this multivariable model was 0.83. We identified independent association factors suggesting that greater epidural depth and procedure difficulty may increase the odds of inadvertent dural puncture or post-dural puncture headache.

Sub-acute pain after childbirth during COVID-19 pandemic: A secondary analysis of A prospective clinical trial.

Background: COVID-19 pandemic could bring great impact upon the psychological statuses of post-partum women, but no clear evidence was provided yet as to COVID-19 would also affect their pain profile during post-partum period. We determined if pain and psychological vulnerabilities, obstetric factors, and labor analgesia were associated with sub-acute pain after childbirth (SAPC; ongoing pain related to delivery at post-partum 4 weeks or more) during COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We included women having a singleton pregnancy of ≥36 gestational weeks. The recruited women were given pre-delivery questionnaires to measure their pain and psychological vulnerabilities. At post-partum 6-10 weeks, an online survey was conducted to collect data on post-partum pain information. Results: Of the 880 recruited women, 816 completed the post-partum pain survey, with 99 (12.1%) having developed SAPC. Giving birth during COVID-19 pandemic (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.64, 95%CI 1.04 to 2.57), greater pre-delivery central sensitization (aOR 1.02, 95%CI 1.00 to 1.04), greater number of pain relief administered (aOR 1.49, 95%CI 1.18 to 1.89), having had artificial rupture of membrane and oxytocic during labor onset (aOR 3.00, 95%CI 1.66 to 5.40), greater volume of blood loss during delivery (every 100 ml; aOR 1.27, 95%CI 1.11 to 1.44), having had third-degree tear during delivery (aOR 4.40, 95%CI 1.33 to 14.51), and greater infant height (aOR 1.14, 95%CI 1.01 to 1.30) were independently associated with greater risk of SAPC. Having greater general health score was protective against the risk of SAPC (aOR 0.99, 95% CI 0.97 to 0.999) (Area under the curve (AUC) = 0.74). Conclusions: The generated multivariable association model may help us better understand the shift in pain and psychological aspects of women during COVID-19 pandemic.