Patient-Controlled Analgesia With Remifentanil Versus Alternative Parenteral Methods for Pain Management in Labour: A Cochrane Systematic Review

Abstract

(Anaesthesia. 2017;72(8):1016–1028) Guidelines from both the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommend epidural analgesia as the most effective and flexible analgesic option for labor pain management, but some laboring women have contraindications to neuraxial analgesia and others may prefer alternatives. This Cochrane systematic review analyzed the effectiveness of intravenous remifentanil patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) compared with other labor analgesia techniques as measured by patient satisfaction and adverse maternal or neonatal effects.