Continuous infusion epidural analgesia with lidocaine: efficacy and influence during the second stage of labor. Benefits of continuous infusion epidural analgesia throughout vaginal delivery. Continuous epidural infusion of 0.0625% bupivacaine-0.0002% fentanyl during the second stage of labor. Effect of second-stage 0.25% epidural bupivacaine on the outcome of labor.
A randomized double-blind study evaluated the analgesic efficacy and influence of maintaining a continuous epidural infusion of 0.75% lidocaine during the second stage of labor in nulliparous women. When the cervix was 8 cm or more dilated, unidentified study solution was substituted for the known 0.75% lidocaine solution and continued until delivery. The study solution for 26 patients was 0.75% lidocaine; 27 subjects received saline. During the first stage of labor, 88% of women in the lidocaine group and 81% of women in the saline group had analgesia of excellent or good quality, a nonsignificant difference. During the second stage, there was a tendency (not statistically significant) toward improved analgesia quality in the lidocaine patients, but there was no significant difference in the frequency of perineal anesthesia (23% lidocaine, 7% saline). There was no difference between the groups in the duration of the second stage of labor (73 +/- 63 versus 76 +/- 48 minutes). Operative delivery frequency was similar (31 and 37%), as were umbilical cord blood acid-base values. It is concluded that maintenance of the continuous epidural infusion of 0.75% lidocaine did not prolong the second stage of labor, but it also did not significantly differ from saline in quality of second stage analgesia or frequency of perineal anesthesia. Two groups of nulliparous women with fetuses in singleton vertex presentation received continuous infusion epidural analgesia (EDA) with bupivacaine: group A (90 parturients) without infusion analgesia in the second stage of labor and group B (90 parturients) with infusion analgesia throughout delivery. The groups were compared regarding pain relief, duration of the second stage, persistent malrotation of the fetal head, and rate of instrumental vaginal delivery. The continuous infusion EDA gave satisfactory pain relief in 93.3% of the parturients in group A and 97.8% in group B. The duration of second stage was the same in both groups. There were more persistent malrotations of the fetal head in group A, but the malrotation did not affect the mode of delivery. The rate of instrumental vaginal delivery was 25.5% in both groups. The main cause of operative intervention was delay in the second stage. When the continuous infusion technique is used, it seems unreasonable to discontinue the EDA and thereby deprive the parturient of analgesia during the second stage. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was performed to evaluate the analgesic efficacy and influence of continuing an epidural infusion of 0.0625% bupivacaine-0.0002% fentanyl during the second stage of labor in nulliparous women. When the cervix was fully dilated, coded study solution was substituted for the known bupivacaine-fentanyl solution. The study solution for 29 patients was 0.0625% bupivacaine-0.0002% fentanyl; 34 patients received saline placebo. The two groups had similar pain scores during the first stage of labor. During the second stage, pain scores were significantly higher in the saline-placebo group at each 30-min interval between 60 and 150 min after the diagnosis of full cervical dilation. Similarly, there was a significant difference between the two groups in global assessment of analgesia quality during the second stage, but the difference occurred in those patients with a second-stage duration of greater than or equal to 60 min. Among the women who delivered vaginally, eleven of 28 (39%) women in the bupivacaine-fentanyl group, versus five of 34 (15%) in the saline-placebo group, had surgical perineal anesthesia for vaginal delivery (P less than .05). Six of 28 (21%) women in the bupivacaine-fentanyl group, and five of 34 (15%) in the saline-placebo group, underwent instrumental vaginal delivery (P = NS). The median duration of the second stage of labor was 53 min (range = 5-283) in the bupivacaine-fentanyl group, and 63 min (range = 16-181) in the saline-placebo group (P = NS).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) To evaluate the effect of second-stage epidural bupivacaine on the outcome of labor.
                Two groups of 35 patients each were randomly allocated to receive continuous epidural bupivacaine throughout labor (group 1) or until an 8-cm dilatation of the cervix (group 2).
                There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in the rates of instrument deliveries and in their Apgar scores.
                The administration of continuous epidural bupivacaine (0.25%) throughout labor and delivery does not seem to affect the outcome of labor.
There is insufficient evidence to support the hypothesis that discontinuing epidural analgesia late in labour reduces the rate of instrumental delivery. There is evidence that it increases the rate of inadequate pain relief in the second stage of labour. The practice of discontinuing epidurals is widespread and the size of the reduction in instrumental delivery rate could be clinically important; therefore, we recommend a larger study than those included in this review be undertaken to determine whether this effect is real or has occurred by chance, and to provide stronger evidence about the safety aspects.