[Current concepts in neuraxial anaesthesia for labour and delivery]

Abstract

Epidural analgesia for labour has been associated with an increased rate of motor blockade, and instrumental and Caesarean deliveries. In recent years, these risks were significantly reduced with modern concepts of epidural analgesia, including the use of lower doses of local anaesthetics in combination with opioids. With combinations of 0.0625-0.125 % of bupivacaine plus sufentanil or fentanyl, the incidence of maternal motor blockade approximates 10 % and most parturients are nowadays able to ambulate during labour. Methods of epidural drug administration consist of intermittent boluses, patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) or continuous infusions. While intermittent top-ups and PCEA do not differ in the amount of local anaesthetics used, continuous infusions have been associated with increases in drug consumption and motor blockade in addition to a higher workload (e. g. frequent adjustments of infusion rates). They therefore do not appear to confer significant benefits during labour analgesia. The most common type of anaesthesia for Caesarean delivery is spinal anaesthesia due to its simplicity, cost-effectiveness and speed of onset. It is suitable for cases of an urgent or emergent Caesarean delivery. General anaesthesia still leads to a higher maternal mortality and should be reserved for absolute emergencies and cases where neuraxial blockade is contraindicated.