[39] Analgesia and Anaesthesia During Labour Flashcards
When should strategies for the relief of pain during labour be discussed with the mother?
During the antenatal period
What are the techniques for relieving pain during labour aimed at?
Reducing the level of pain experienced in labour whilst invoking minimal risk for the mother and her baby
How does the level of pain experienced during labour vary?
Varies widely, with some experiencing very little pain, whilst others suffer from abdominal or back pain of increasing intensity throughout their labour
What is the result of the wide variety in pain experienced during labour?
Any programme of pain relief must be tailored to the individual
What is the best mode of pain relief in labour advised based on?
- If the mother is nulliparous or multiparous
- Current cervical dilatation
- Rate of progress in labour
- Extent to which the mother is feeling the pain
How is a decision regarding pain relief in labour reached?
The mother decides based on the advice given
What does the programme of pain relief in labour often involve?
A combination of methods, starting from least to most effective method
What is the only method of pain relief during labour that provides complete pain relief during labour?
Epidural anaesthesia
What are the types of pain relief during labour?
- Narcotic analgesia
- Inhalation analgesia
- Complementary therapies
- Regional anaesthesia
What are the options for narcotic pain relief during labour?
- Pethidine
- Morphine
- Remifentanil
Is remifentanil widely used?
I dont think so it just says some centres so probs not a main one
What is the advantage of remifentanil?
It is an ultra short-acting opioid that produces a superior analgesia to pethidine and has less of an effect on neonatal respiration
What are the common side effects of opiates?
- Nausea and vomiting in the mother
- Respiratory depression in the baby
When is the effect of opiates on the neonatal particularly important?
When the drug is given within 2 hours of delivery
What are opiates often administered with?
Anti-emetics
What effect might using opiates during labour have after labour?
Might interfere with breastfeeding
When is inhalation analgesia used in labour?
Early in labour, until the mother switches to much stronger analgesics
What is inhalational analgesia best used for in labour?
Short-term pain relief in the late first and second stage of labour
What is the most widely used inhalation analgesia used in labour?
Entonox
What is Entonox?
A 50/50 mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen
What is the advantage of Entonox in labour?
The gas is self administered, which avoids overdosing as they drop the mask off
When is Entonox inhaled?
As soon as the contraction starts
Who has nitrous oxide been shown to have adverse effects on?
Birth attendants
When does nitrous oxide have adverse effects on birth attendants?
If exposure is prolonged