Abstract
Objectives: To determine the effects of epidural analgesia compared with non-epidural forms of pain relief in labour. Design Randomised controlled trials comparing epidural analgesia with alternative forms of pain relief in labour. Setting Combined Military Hospital Rawalpindi. Period. March 2002 to Feb 2003. Results: Epidural analgesia was more effective than nonepidural methods in providing pain relief. Adverse effects suggested by the rather small trials reviewed include motor blockade, longer first and second stages of labour, increased oxytocin use, malrotation, instrumental delivery and Caesarean section (particularly for dystocia). Conclusions: Epidural analgesia is an effective method of pain relief during labour. Further research is needed to define the adverse effects more accurately, particularly potential long-term adverse effects, and to evaluate different regional analgesia techniques.
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