Programmed Intermittent Epidural Bolus Reduces Workloads in Labor Analgesia: A Single Center's Experience.

Background and Objectives: Labor epidural analgesia can be maintained through programmed intermittent epidural bolus (PIEB), continuous epidural infusion (CEI), or patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA). Our department changed from CEI+PCEA to PIEB+PCEA as the maintenance method. The higher hourly dose setting in the current regimen brought to our concern that side effects would increase with proportional staff workloads. This study aimed to investigate the validity of our proposal that PIEB+PCEA may function as a feasible tool in reducing the amount of work in the obstetrics anesthesia units. Materials and methods: This 2-year retrospective review included parturients with vaginal deliveries under epidural analgesia. We compared the staff burden before and after the switch from CEI (6 mL/h, PCEA 6 mL lockout 15 min, group A) to PIEB (8 mL/h, PCEA 8 mL lockout 10 min, group B). The primary outcome was the difference of proportion of parturients requiring unscheduled visits between groups. Side effects and labor and neonatal outcomes were compared. Results: Of the 694 parturients analyzed, the proportion of those requiring unscheduled visits were significantly reduced in group B (20.8% vs. 27.7%, chi-square test, p = 0.033). The multivariate logistic regression showed that PIEB was associated with fewer unscheduled visits than CEI (OR = 0.53, 95% CI [0.36-0.80], p < 0.01). Group B exhibited a significantly lower incidence of asymmetric blockade, as well as motor blockade. In nulliparous subjects, obstetric anal sphincter injury occurred less frequently when PIEB+PCEA was used. Significantly more multiparous women experienced vacuum extraction delivery in group B than in group A, and they had a longer second stage of labor. Conclusions: The PIEB+PCEA protocol in our study reduced workloads in labor epidural analgesia as compared to CEI+PCEA, despite that a higher dose of analgesics was administered. Future studies are warranted to investigate the effect of manipulating the PIEB settings on the labor outcomes.

The application of DPE, CSEA, and EA in labor analgesia for nulliparous women and their impact on maternal and infant safety.

This work compared the effects of dural puncture epidural (DPE), combined spinal epidural analgesia (CSEA) and epidural analgesia (EA) on labor analgesia for primiparae and their impacts on maternal and infant safety. A total of 204 primiparae in need of labor analgesia for vaginal delivery were allocated to DPE, CSEA and EA groups. At 10 min, 30 min and 1 h after analgesia, the DPE and CSEA groups showed lower VAS scores and quicker onset of action than EA group. There was no significant difference in the duration of analgesia and labor and fetal decelerations among the 3 groups. At 1 min and 5 min after childbirth, the neonatal Apgar scores showed no significant difference between the 3 groups. The Bromage scores of DPE and EA groups were lower than those of CSEA group. The incidence of pruritus, hypotension, and postpartum headache in DPE and EA groups were lower than those in CSEA group. To sum up, the efficacy of DPE in labor analgesia for primiparae is similar to that of CSEA, with no obvious effect on labor stage and neonatal Apgar score, no additional complications and less LLMB, pruritus, hypotension and postpartum headache.

Effect of dural puncture epidural block technique on fetal heart rate variability during labor analgesia.

PURPOSE: To explore the effect of dural puncture epidural (DPE) block technique on fetal heart rate variability (HRV) during labor analgesia. METHODS: Sixty full-term primiparas who were in our hospital from April 2021 to October 2021 were selected and randomized into epidural analgesia (CEA) and dural puncture epidural analgesia (DPEA) groups (n = 30). After a successful epidural puncture, routine epidural catheter (EC) was performed in CEA group, and spinal anesthesia needle (as an EC) was used to puncture the dura mater to subarachnoid space in DPE group. Anesthetics were injected through EC. The time when the temperature sensation plane reached T10 (W1) and visual analog pain score (VAS), baseline heart rate score, amplitude variation score, cycle variation score, acceleration score, deceleration score, and total score of the first contraction after W1 were recorded. Apgar scores at 1 min, 5 min, and 10 min of neonates after delivery were recorded. RESULTS: The onset time of anesthesia in CEA group was significantly longer than that in DPEA group (p < .05). However, there are no significant differences in W1, VAS, baseline heart rate score, amplitude variation score, cycle variation score, acceleration score, deceleration score, and total score of the first contraction after W1 between the two groups (p > .05). Moreover, the Apgar scores at 1 min, 5 min and 10 min of neonates after delivery were not notably different between the two groups (p > .05). CONCLUSION: Compared with CEA, DPE block technique in labor analgesia relieves maternal pain without adverse effects on fetal HRV and newborns.

Effects of different neuraxial analgesia modalities on the need for physician interventions in labour: A network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Neuraxial labour analgesia can be initiated with epidural (EPL), combined spinal epidural (CSE) or dural puncture epidural (DPE) and maintained with continuous epidural infusion (CEI), patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) or programmed intermittent epidural bolus (PIEB), but the optimal analgesia modality is still controversial. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of commonly used neuraxial analgesia modalities on the proportion of women needing physician interventions, as defined by the need for physician-administered epidural top-ups for inadequate analgesia in labour. DESIGN: Bayesian network meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, Web of Science and Wanfang Data were searched from January 1988 to August 2023 without language restriction. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials comparing two or more modalities of the following six neuraxial analgesia modalities in healthy labouring women: EPL+CEI+PCEA, EPL+PIEB+PCEA, CSE+CEI+PCEA, CSE+PIEB+PCEA, DPE+CEI+PCEA and DPE+PIEB+PCEA. RESULTS: Thirty studies with 8188 women were included. Compared with EPL+CEI+PCEA, EPL+PIEB+PCEA [odds ratio (OR) = 0.44; 95% credible interval (CrI), 0.22 to 0.86], CSE+PIEB+PCEA (OR = 0.29; 95% CrI, 0.12 to 0.71) and DPE+PIEB+PCEA (OR = 0.19; 95% CrI, 0.08 to 0.42) significantly reduced the proportion of women needing physician interventions. DPE+PIEB+PCEA had fewer women needing physician interventions than all other modalities, except for CSE+PIEB+PCEA (OR = 0.63; 95% CrI, 0.25 to 1.62). There were no significant differences in local anaesthetic consumption, maximum pain score, and the incidence of instrumental delivery between the different neuraxial modalities. CONCLUSIONS: PIEB+PCEA is associated with a lower risk of physician interventions in labour than CEI+PCEA. DPE or CSE and PIEB+PCEA may be associated with a lower likelihood of physician interventions than other neuraxial modalities. Otherwise, the new neuraxial analgesia techniques do not appear to offer significant advantages over traditional techniques. However, these results should be interpreted with caution due to limited data and methodological limitations. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO (CRD42023402540).

Impact of combined propranolol and oxytocin on the process and outcomes of labor: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

PURPOSE: To systematically review the impact of propranolol combined with oxytocin on the process and outcomes of labor. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed across multiple databases, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP, Wanfang, China Biomedical Literature Database, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. All publicly published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of propranolol combined with oxytocin compared to the use of oxytocin alone in labor were collected. After screening the literature and extracting data, the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions 5.1.0 recommended bias risk assessment tool was used to assess the quality of the included studies. A meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.3 software, and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system was used to rate the quality of evidence for outcome measures. RESULTS: Meta-analysis results showed that the group receiving propranolol combined with oxytocin was more capable of reducing the cesarean section rate (eight studies, 815 women, RR = 0.67, 95% CI (0.53, 0.86), P = 0.001) and shortening the duration of the latent phase (two studies, 206 women, MD = - 1.20, 95% CI (- 1.97, - 0.43), P = 0.002) and the duration of the active phase on day 1 (two studies, 296 women, MD = - 0.69, 95% CI (- 0.83, - 0.54), P < 0.00001), compared to the oxytocin monotherapy group. No significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of the 5-min Apgar score (five studies, 609 women, MD = - 0.05, 95% CI (- 0.14, 0.04), P = 0.32) and the rate of admissions to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) (three studies, 359 women, RR = 0.82, 95% CI (0.38, 1.79), P = 0.62). CONCLUSION: The combined use of propranolol and oxytocin can significantly reduce the cesarean section rate, shorten the duration of the latent phase and the duration of the active phase on day 1, and is safe. However, due to the limitations, the conclusions of this article still need to be verified by large-sample, multicenter, rigorously designed high-quality clinical RCTs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registration number is INPLASY202390107.

Auricular bean embedding improves urination in epidural labor analgesia: A single center randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Acupoint buried beans on the auricle is a feasible method to prevent and treat postpartum urinary retention. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effect of auricular acupoint buried beans on postpartum urination and maternal and fetal outcomes following epidural analgesia for labor. METHODS: Two hundred forty primiparas underwent vaginal trial labor analgesia from May 2020 to January 2021 and were randomly placed into the intervention and control groups. Both groups received epidural labor analgesia. Maternal urination during labor, 2 h postpartum, and the time for first postpartum urination were recorded as primary outcomes, with maternal and infant outcomes documented as secondary results. Statistical analysis was performed using the independent sample t-test, non-parametric rank-sum, or chi-square test using the SPSS Statistics 25.0 software. RESULTS: Two hundred eight study participants were subsequently included in the results, i.e., 105 patients in the intervention group and 103 in the control group. The intervention group comprised a significantly lower number of patients with excessive residual urine volume at cervical dilatation of 5-6 cm (P< 0.05). The total postpartum score of the intervention group was lower than in the control group (P< 0.01), and the time to first urination was shorter compared with the control group (P< 0.05). In the intervention group, the time of labor analgesia, the duration of the first stage of labor, and the total labor time were shorter compared with the control group (P< 0.01). CONCLUSION: Auricular acupoint embedded beans can improve the urination status at cervical dilatation of 5-6 cm and 2 h postpartum, as well as significantly shorten the duration of labor.

Application value of analgesia throughout labor and analgesia during the first stage of labor in women with pregnancy-induced hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Effective analgesia is required to ensure maternal and neonatal safety. OBJECTIVE: To compare the therapeutic effects of analgesia applied throughout labor and analgesia applied during the first stage of labor in women with pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH). METHODS: In this study, 120 puerperae with PIH who gave birth in our hospital were enrolled as the study participants and were randomized into two groups (n= 60 in each group) using a coin flip. Those who received analgesia throughout labor were enrolled in the observation group, and those administered analgesia during the first stage of labor were enrolled in the control group. The analgesic effects, changes in blood pressure during labor, and neonatal health were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Differences in visual analog scale (VAS) scores before analgesia, 10 min after analgesia, and full cervical dilation between the two groups were not statistically significant (P> 0.05 in all). The VAS scores of the puerperae in the observation group during forced breathing in the second stage of labor and fetal head expulsion were lower than those in the control group (P< 0.05 for both). The incidence of postpartum hemorrhage, forceps delivery, and antihypertensive treatment in the observation group was slightly lower than in the control group, but the differences were not statistically significant (P> 0.05). The rate of oxytocin treatment in puerperae in the observation group was significantly lower than in the control group (P< 0.05). The differences in base excess, arterial partial pressure of oxygen, partial pressure of carbon dioxide, and pH between the two groups of newborns were not statistically significant (P> 0.05 for all). Differences in changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure between the two groups of puerperae were not statistically significant (P> 0.05 for both). Eclampsia did not occur during labor in either group. CONCLUSION: For patients with PIH, the application of analgesia throughout labor had a positive analgesic effect, effectively controlling the changes in blood pressure and ensuring the health of newborns. This is worthy of widespread clinical application.

Pharmacological Interventions in Labor and Delivery.

While there is not a wide range of pregnancy-specific drugs, there are some very specific high-risk areas of obstetric care for which unique pharmacological approaches have been established. In preterm birth, labor induction and augmentation, and the management of postpartum hemorrhage, these pharmacological approaches have become the bedrock in managing some of the most common and problematic areas of antenatal and intrapartum care. In this review, we summarize the existing established and emerging evidence that supports and broadens these pharmacological approaches to obstetric management and its impact on clinical practice. It is clear that existing therapeutics are limited. They have largely been developed from our knowledge of the physiology of the myometrium and act on hormonal receptors and their signaling pathways or on ion channels influencing excitability. Newer drugs in development are mostly refinements of these two approaches, but novel agents from plants and improved formulations are also discussed.

Neuraxial analgesia interfered with the circadian rhythm of labor: a propensity score matched cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether neuraxial analgesia and other medical interventions have effects on the circadian rhythm of labor. METHODS: It was a retrospective propensity score matched cohort study. Parturients were recruited, who delivered term singletons in cephalic position, from seven hospitals in Harvard University Partners Healthcare Systems, 2016-2018. The parturients were divided into two groups, neuraxial analgesia delivery and spontaneous vaginal delivery, the stratification was performed according to labor induction, oxytocin, operative delivery. The parturients in each group were divided into 12 periods in every 2 h based on the birth time of babies. Cosine function fitting was used to verify whether the birth time had the characteristic of circadian rhythm. RESULTS: In spontaneous vaginal deliveries, the peak of birth time was at 2:00-4:00, and the nadir was at 14:00-16:00, this showed a circadian rhythm presented by a cosine curve fitting with the formula (y = 0.0847 + 0.01711 × cos(- 0.2138 × x + 0.4471). The labor rhythm of NAD (Neuraxial Analgesia Delivery) group changed completely, inconsistent with the cosine curve fitting of the circadian rhythm. The intervention of induction and oxytocin blurred the circadian rhythm of SVD (Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery) group and increased the amplitude of the fluctuation in NAD (Neuraxial Analgesia Delivery) group. The intervention of operative delivery had changed the distribution curve completely both in the SVD (Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery) group and the NAD (Neuraxial Analgesia Delivery) group. CONCLUSIONS: Neuraxial analgesia did affect on circadian rhythm of labor, changed the cosine rhythm of labor with spontaneous vaginal delivery, and this trend was aggravated by the use of induction, oxytocin and operative delivery.

Association of labour epidural analgesia with neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring: a Danish population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Whether labour epidural analgesia impacts risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring is unsettled, raising public and scientific concerns. We explored the association between maternal labour epidural analgesia and autism spectrum disorder, and specific developmental disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, intellectual disability, and epilepsy in offspring. METHODS: This nationwide population-based cohort study included 624 952 live-born singletons delivered by women who intended to deliver vaginally (i.e. vaginal and intrapartum Caesarean deliveries) in Denmark from 2005 to 2016. A total of 80 862 siblings discordant for exposure to labour epidural analgesia were analysed in a sibling-matched analysis. Both full-cohort and sibling-matched analyses were performed to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) of offspring risk of autism spectrum disorder, specific developmental disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, intellectual disability, and epilepsy, according to exposure to labour epidural analgesia, adjusted for maternal socio-economic, pregnancy, and perinatal covariates. RESULTS: In the full cohort, maternal labour epidural analgesia was associated with autism spectrum disorder in offspring (HR 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04-1.18); however, in the sibling-matched analysis, no association with autism spectrum disorder was found (HR 1.03; 95% CI: 0.84-1.27). The association between labour epidural analgesia and specific developmental disorder (HR 1.12; 95% CI: 1.03-1.22) in the full cohort also disappeared in the sibling-matched analysis (HR 1.01; 95% CI: 0.78-1.31). No association between maternal labour epidural analgesia and the remaining neurodevelopmental disorders was found overall (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, HR 0.98; 95% CI: 0.92-1.03; intellectual disability, HR 0.98; 95% CI: 0.85-1.14; epilepsy, HR 0.89; 95% CI: 0.79-1.00) or in the sibling-matched analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings did not support an association between maternal attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder, specific developmental disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, intellectual disability, or epilepsy.

Epidural Analgesia Associated with Higher Rate of Neonatal Infection.

According to this study: Epidural analgesia during labor was associated with a higher risk of neonatal infection in full-term neonates delivered vaginally.

A descriptive study of healthcare-providers' experiences with the use and quality of oxytocin for the prevention of post-partum hemorrhage in Nigeria: A nation-wide survey.

BACKGROUND: Oxytocin is recommended as an affordable and effective drug in the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage-one of the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries, however, there are concerns about its proper use and quality. This study builds on earlier work conducted in a South-Western state in Nigeria. OBJECTIVE: The study assessed the knowledge around oxytocin, usage, storage practices and perceived quality of oxytocin used by healthcare providers that directly administer oxytocin for the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage across Nigeria. METHODS: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study that surveyed a representative sample of 6,299 healthcare providers who offer obstetrics and gynecological services and recruited from 1,894 healthcare facilities in Public and Private sectors in 12 states across Nigeria. Data were collected using an electronic questionnaire, analyzed using SPSS, and presented in frequencies and percentages. RESULTS: Only forty-six percent of respondents (52.8% in private; 40.0% in public sector) had proper knowledge that oxytocin storage is in the refrigerator. Proper knowledge also varied by professional cadre, doctors (71.2%); nurses (46.6%); Community Health Workers (28.4%) and by years of experience, less than 10 years (51.4%); more than 10 years (40.8%). Only 34% of the respondents (41% in private and 27.5% in public sector) reported good practices that oxytocin is stored in the refrigerator in their facilities. Most healthcare providers used oxytocin for prevention of PPH (77.9%). Oxytocin was also used for augmentation (66.7%) and induction of labor (52.6%). Half of respondents used above the WHO-recommended oxytocin dose of 10IU for prevention of PPH. Twenty-three percent of respondents reported experiencing oxytocin failure in PPH prevention of whom, 54.3% changed to another uterotonic and 37.1% doubled the dose of oxytocin for their patients. CONCLUSION: Our study findings should be used to establish clinical guidelines and trainings for healthcare providers to improve their knowledge and storage practices and use to safeguard the quality of these lifesaving medicines.

Impact of epidural labor analgesia using sufentanil combined with low-concentration ropivacaine on maternal and neonatal outcomes: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Whether epidural administered sufentanil combined with low-concentration ropivacaine affected labor progress as well as maternal and neonatal outcomes still remained unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of epidural sufentanil plus ropivacaine on maternal and neonatal outcomes. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study. Data of singleton full-term pregnancy women who received epidural labor analgesia for vaginal delivery from May 2018 to June 2020 were collected. Parturients were divided into two groups (the R group and the SR group) according to different medication regimens for epidural labor analgesia. The implementation of epidural analgesia during labor was performed with 0.167 % ropivacaine in the R group and 0.1 % ropivacaine in combination with 0.5 µg/ml sufentanil in the SR group. The primary outcome of our study included the duration of labor progress and the incidence of maternal fever, postpartum hemorrhage, fetal distress and neonatal Apgar scores less than 7 at 1 and 5 min. The secondary outcome included the incidence of episiotomy, instrumental delivery, caesarean section and grade III meconium-stained amniotic fluid. RESULTS: There were a total 3778 deliveries during the study period, 1994 and 1784 parturients were included in the R group and in the SR group, respectively. The length of the first stage of labor was remarkably shorter in the R group in comparison to the SR group (548.0 ± 273.0 vs. 570.9 ± 273.0, P = 0.013). No significant difference was found in the incidence of maternal fever, postpartum hemorrhage, fetal distress and in the neonatal Apgar scores less than 7 at 1 and 5 min between two groups. Other Maternal outcomes were comparable in the R group and the SR group. CONCLUSIONS: 0.5 µg/ml sufentanil plus 0.1 % ropivacaine for epidural labor analgesia prolonged the duration of the first stage of labor, but did not have additional impact on maternal and neonatal outcomes compared with the sole 0.167 % ropivacaine. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Research Information Service with registration number ChiCTR2100045162 . Registered 7 April 2021.

Comparison of different approaches to combined spinal epidural anesthesia (CSEA) under the guidance of ultrasound in cesarean delivery of obese patients: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Combined spinal epidural anesthesia (CSEA) is commonly performed in cesarean deliveries. However, it is difficult to perform in obese parturients because of positioning challenges. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of different approaches to CSEA under the guidance of ultrasound. METHODS: One hundred obese patients (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) who underwent elective cesarean section were randomly enrolled. Patients were assigned to a median approach group and a paramedian approach group randomly. Clinical characteristics were compared between groups. First-attempt success rate, the median positioning time and total operation time, ultrasonic predicted anesthesia puncture depth, actual puncture depth, anesthesia adverse reactions, complications after anesthesia, and patients' satisfaction with the epidural puncture were recorded. RESULTS: The first-attempt success rate was significantly different between the two groups [92% (46/50) vs. 76% (38/50), P = 0.029]. The median positioning time and total operation time in the paramedian approach group were higher than those in the median approach group (227.7 s vs. 201.6 s, P = 0.037; 251.3 s vs. 247.4 s, P = 0.145). The incidence of postanesthesia complications in the paramedian approach group was significantly lower than that in the median approach group (2% vs. 12%, P = 0.026), and patient satisfaction was higher in the paramedian approach group than in the median approach group (P = 0.032). CONCLUSION: The ultrasound-guided paramedian approach for CSEA is time-consuming, but it can effectively improve the success rate of the first puncture, reduce the incidence of anesthesia-related adverse reactions, and improve patient satisfaction. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR1900024722) on July 24, 2019.

High-Dose Compared With Standard-Dose Oxytocin Regimens to Augment Labor in Nulliparous Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether a high-dose oxytocin regimen reduces the risk for primary cesarean birth and other obstetric morbidities when compared with standard dosing. METHODS: In a double-blind randomized clinical trial of nulliparous women at or beyond 36 weeks of gestation who were undergoing augmentation of labor, participants were assigned to high-dose (initial and incremental rates of 6 milliunits/min) or standard-dose (initial and incremental rates of 2 milliunits/min) oxytocin regimens. The primary outcome was cesarean birth. Prespecified secondary outcomes included labor duration, clinical chorioamnionitis, endometritis, postpartum hemorrhage, Apgar score 3 or less at 5 minutes, umbilical artery acidemia, neonatal intensive care unit admission, perinatal death, and a severe perinatal morbidity composite. A sample size of 501 per group (n=1,002) was planned to detect a 6.6% absolute reduction in rate of the primary outcome, from 20% in the standard-dose group to 13.4% in the high-dose group with 80% power. RESULTS: From September 2015 to September 2020, 1,003 participants were randomized-502 assigned to high-dose and 501 assigned to standard dosing. The majority of participants were of White race, were married or living as married, and had commercial insurance. Baseline characteristics between groups were similar. The primary outcome occurred in 14.5% of those receiving high-dose compared with 14.4% of those receiving standard-dose oxytocin (relative risk, 1.01; 95% CI 0.75-1.37). The high-dose group had a significantly shorter mean labor duration (9.1 vs 10.5 hours; P<.001), and a significantly lower chorioamnionitis incidence (10.4% vs 15.6%; relative risk, 0.67; 95% CI 0.48-0.92) compared with standard dosing. Umbilical artery acidemia was significantly less frequent in the high-dose group in complete case analysis, but this finding did not persist after multiple imputation (relative risk, 0.55; 95% CI 0.29-1.04). There were no significant differences in other secondary outcomes. CONCLUSION: Among nulliparous participants who were undergoing augmentation of labor, a high-dose oxytocin regimen, compared with standard dosing, did not affect the cesarean birth risk but significantly reduced labor duration and clinical chorioamnionitis frequency without adverse effects on perinatal outcomes. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02487797.

Adjuvant Sufentanil Decreased the EC50 of Epidural Ropivacaine for Labor Analgesia in Healthy Term Pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: The optimal concentration of ropivacaine as epidural labor analgesia combined with sufentanil has not been established. This study aimed to determine the median effective concentration (EC50) of epidural ropivacaine for labor analgesia in healthy term pregnancy when co-administered with sufentanil as an adjuvant or alone. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Sixty healthy parturients scheduled for epidural labor analgesia were enrolled in the study. They were divided into a saline group (Group C) and an epidural sufentanil (0.5 µg/mL) group (Group S). The initial concentration of ropivacaine was set at 0.125%, which was then varied by 0.01% using the up-and-down sequential allocation method. The hemodynamics were continuously monitored during delivery. A visual analog scale was used to evaluate the degree of pain. The Ramsay sedation score, duration of the labor stages, the onset of epidural analgesia, and adverse effects were recorded. Neonatal outcomes were evaluated using the Apgar scores and umbilical artery blood gas analysis. RESULTS: The EC50 of ropivacaine was 0.085% (95% CI, 0.079-0.090%) in Group S and 0.109% (95% CI, 0.105-0.112%) in Group C. The EC95 of ropivacaine was 0.096% (95% CI, 0.090-0.118%) in Group S, and 0.116% (95% CI, 0.113-0.127%) in Group C. The difference between the groups was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The stable hemodynamics, satisfactory analgesia, and good neonatal outcomes were comparable in both groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The EC50 of ropivacaine was reduced by 22% when co-administered with sufentanil for epidural labor analgesia in primipara. (www.chictr.org.cn; registration number: ChiCTR2000039547).

Why is the labor epidural rate low and cesarean delivery rate high? A survey of Chinese perinatal care providers.

OBJECTIVE: China has a high cesarean delivery (CD) and low labor epidural analgesia (LEA) rate. This online survey was conducted to explore the reasons behind this phenomenon and potential solutions. METHODS: A voluntary, anonymous survey was distributed via both WeChat and professional websites for 4 months amongst groups of Chinese perinatal professionals. Data was collected and analyzed using a Chi-square test and presented as percentages of respondents. RESULTS: 1412 respondents were recorded (43% anesthesiologists, 35% obstetricians, 15.5% midwives or labor and delivery nurses, and 6.5% others), and 1320 respondents were care providers. It was found that 82.7% (1092/1320) of the provider respondents used CD per patient request in fear of lawsuits or yinao/yibao and 63.4% (837/1320) used CD for respecting superstitious culture. The number one reason (noted by 60.2% (795/1320) of all the three specialties) for low LEA use was lack of anesthesia manpower without statistical difference among specialties. The most recommended solution was increasing the anesthesia workforce, proposed by 79.8% (1053/1320) of the three specialties. However, the top solution provided by the two non-anesthesia specialties is different from the one proposed by anesthesiologists. The later (83%, 504/606) suggested increasing the incentive to provide the service is more effective. The answers to questions related to medical knowledge about CD and LEA, and unwillingness of anesthesiologists, parturients and their family members to LEA were similar for the most part, while the opinions regarding low LEA use related to poor experiences and unwillingness of obstetricians and hospital administrators were significantly divided among the three specialties. In the providers' point of view, the unwillingness to LEA from parturient's family members was the most salient (26.1%, 345/1320), which is more than all care providers, hospital administrators, and parturients themselves (16.8%, 222/1320). CONCLUSION: The reasons for high CD rate and low LEA use are multifactorial. The sociological issues (fear of yinao/yibao and superstitious culture) were the top two contributing factors for the high CD rate in China, while lack of anesthesia manpower was the top response for the low LEA use, which contributes to its being the most recommended solution overall from the three specialties. An incentive approach to providers is a short-term solution while training more perinatal care providers (especially among anesthesiologists and midwives), improving billing systems, and reforming legal systems are 3 systemic approaches to tackling this problem in the long-term.

Efficacy of phloroglucinol for acceleration of labour: a systematic review and meta­analysis.

PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy of phloroglucinol for acceleration of labour. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing phloroglucinol with placebo were searched in PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library. Literatures were collected up to April 2020. Primary outcomes were the duration of labour and average blood loss. Finally, a total of 4 RCTs, 377 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The included RCTs were analyzed by the software Rev Man 5. 3. RESULTS: In the phloroglucinol group, the duration of the first stage was reduced by 116.04 min (95% CI 107.71 to 124.68), and the duration of the second stage was reduced by 10.75 min (95% CI 8.79 to 12.70). The average blood loss was reduced by 16.07 ml, which was statistically different from the control group. CONCLUSION: The application of phloroglucinol is proved to be effective for accelerating the labour process, reducing the risk of maternal and neonatal complications.

Difficulty in Advancing Flexible Epidural Catheters When Establishing Labor Analgesia: An Observational Open-Label Randomized Trial.

BACKGROUND: While flexible epidural catheters reduce the risk of paresthesia and intravascular cannulation, they may be more challenging to advance beyond the tip of a Tuohy needle. This may increase placement time, number of attempts, and possibly complications when establishing labor analgesia. This study investigated the ability to advance flexible epidural catheters through different epidural needles from 2 commonly used, commercially available, epidural kits. METHODS: We hypothesized that the multiorifice wire-reinforced polyamide nylon blend epidural catheters will have a higher rate of successful first attempt insertion than the single-end hole wire-reinforced polyurethane catheters for the establishment of labor analgesia. The primary outcome was a difference in proportions of failure to advance the epidural catheter between the 2 epidural kits and was tested by a χ2 test. Two-hundred forty epidural kits were collected (n = 120/group) for 240 laboring patients requesting epidural analgesia in this open-label clinical trial from November 2018 to September 2019. Two-week time intervals were randomized for the exclusive use of 1 of the 2 kits in this study, where all patients received labor analgesia through either the flexible epidural catheter "A" or the flexible epidural catheter "B." Engineering properties of the equipment used were then determined. RESULTS: Flexible epidural catheter "A," the single-end hole wire-reinforced polyurethane catheter, did not advance at the first attempt in 15% (n = 18 of 120) of the parturients compared to 0.8% (n = 1 of 120) of the catheter "B," the multiorifice wire-reinforced polyamide nylon blend epidural catheter (P < .0001). Twenty-five additional epidural needle manipulations were recorded in the laboring patients who received catheter "A," while 1 epidural needle manipulation was recorded in the parturients who received catheter "B" (P < .0001). Bending stiffness of the epidural catheters used from kit "B" was twice the bending stiffness of the catheters used from kit "A" (bending stiffness catheters "A" 0.64 ± 0.04 N·mm2 versus bending stiffness catheters "B" 1.28 ± 0.20 N·mm2, P = .0038), and the angle formed by the needle and the epidural catheter from kit "A" was less acute than the angle formed from kit "B" (kit "A" 14.17 ± 1.72° versus kit "B" 21.83 ± 1.33°, P = .0036), with a mean difference of 7.66° between the 2 kits' angles. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of an inability to advance single-end hole wire-reinforced polyurethane catheter was higher compared to the use of multiorifice wire-reinforced polyamide nylon blend epidural catheter. Variation of morphological features of epidural needles and catheters may play a critical role in determining the successful establishment of labor epidural analgesia.