Consumer view of epidural anaesthesia

Abstract

A preliminary study of a consumer view of epidural analgesia and the problems encountered by women during the intra and postpartum period is reported. Eighty-five women at the Glasgow Royal Maternity Hospital were interviewed twice during the postpartum period. All had had uncomplicated pregnancies and were delivered vaginally at term of normal infants. Those women who had received an epidural anaesthesia during labour were compared with those who had received other forms of pain relief. The epidural anaesthetic was a much more effective form of pain relief, but the women in this group were more likely to experience intervention during labour and have problems (dizziness, backache, painful perineum and difficulty in passing urine) during the puerperium. The routine use of epidural anaesthesia for women at term with uncomplicated pregnancies and labour is questioned until further evaluation of the procedure by a randomised controlled trial of intrapartum and postpartum problems.