Patient controlled analgesia for labour: a comparison of remifentanil with pethidine

• Published in: Anaesthesia Vol. 60; no. 1; pp. 22 - 27
• Main Authors: Blair, J. M., Dobson, G. T., Hill, D. A., McCracken, G. R., Fee, J. P. H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01.01.2005; Blackwell; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Adult; Analgesia, Obstetrical - methods; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled - methods; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Anesthesia; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Comparative analysis; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Medical sciences; Meperidine; Obstetrics; Oxygen - blood; Pain Measurement - methods; Partial Pressure; Patient Satisfaction; Piperidines; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Outcome; Human; Analgesia; Agonist; Pethidine; μ Opioid receptor; Opiates; Anesthesia; Narcotic analgesic; Comparative study; Remifentanil
• ISSN: 0003-2409; 1365-2044
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2044.2004.03975.x

Summary We compared the analgesic efficacy and safety of remifentanil and pethidine via patient controlled analgesia for women in established uncomplicated labour. Women received either remifentanil 40 μg with a 2‐min lockout (n = 20) or pethidine 15 mg with a 10‐min lockout (n = 19). Visual analogue scores for pain during the study and for overall pain were similar for both groups (mean (SD) 6.4 (1.5) cm for remifentanil and 6.9 (1.7) cm for pethidine). The area under the curve for visual analogue scores of satisfaction with analgesia was higher for remifentanil than for pethidine (p = 0.001). Maternal arterial oxygen saturation was similar in both groups. Neurologic and Adaptive Capacity Scores at 30 min were higher for remifentanil than for pethidine (median (interquartile range [range]) 36 (34.5–37 [32–39]) vs 34 (33–35 [30–35]), respectively; p = 0.003).