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Prophylactic intravenous preloading for regional analgesia in labourHofmeyr GJ, Cyna AM, Middleton P
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SummaryProphylactic intravenous preloading for regional analgesia in labourThe effect of giving intravenous fluid to prevent low blood pressure, following regional analgesia for women in labour, is unclear. Regional (epidural, spinal or combined spinal-epidural) analgesia is a common form of pain relief used during labour. Some women have hypotension (low blood pressure) following regional analgesia which can affect both mother and baby. Intravenous fluids before epidural analgesia with high-dose local anaesthetics reduces hypotension. This benefit is not seen when the more recent low-dose local anaesthetics are used, probably due to a lower risk of hypotension with these drugs. There was not enough evidence to show whether preloading is beneficial for women having regional analgesia during labour using the lower-dose agents, or for women with pregnancy complications.
This is a Cochrane review abstract and plain language summary, prepared and maintained by The Cochrane Collaboration, currently published in The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2010 Issue 1, Copyright © 2010 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.. The full text of the review is available in The Cochrane Library (ISSN 1464-780X).
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April 22. 1996 AbstractBackgroundReduced uterine blood flow from maternal hypotension may contribute to fetal heart rate changes which are common following regional analgesia (epidural or spinal or combined spinal-epidural (CSE)) during labour. Intravenous fluid preloading may help to reduce maternal hypotension but using lower doses of local anaesthetic, and opioid only blocks, may reduce the need for preloading. ObjectivesTo assess the effects of prophylactic intravenous fluid preloading before regional analgesia during labour on maternal and fetal well-being. Search strategyWe searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group trials register (19 February 2004). Selection criteriaRandomised and quasi-randomised trials comparing prophylactic intravenous preloading before regional analgesia during labour with a control group (dummy or no preloading). Data collection and analysisTwo reviewers independently applied eligibility criteria, assessed trial quality and extracted data. Main resultsSix studies are included (473 participants). In one epidural trialusing high-dose local anaesthetic, preloading with intravenous fluids was shown to counteract the hypotension which frequently follows traditional epidural analgesia (relative risk (RR) 0.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.01 to 0.53; 102 women). This trial was also associated with a reduction in fetal heart rate abnormalities (RR 0.36, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.83; 102 women); no differences were detected in other perinatal and maternal outcomes for this trial and another high-dose epidural trial. In the two epidural low-dose anaesthetic trials, no significant difference in maternal hypotension was found (RR 0.73, 95% CI 0.36 to 1.48; 260 women), although they were underpowered to detect less than a very large effect. No significant differences were seen between groups in these trials for fetal heart rate abnormalities (RR 0.64, 95% CI 0.39 to 1.05; 233 women). Authors' conclusionsPreloading prior to traditional high-dose local anaesthetic blocks may have some beneficial fetal and maternal effects in healthy women. Low-dose epidural and CSE analgesia techniques may reduce the need for preloading. The studies reviewed were too small to show whether preloading is beneficial for women having regional analgesia during labour using the lower-dose local anaesthetics or opioids. Further investigation of low-dose epidural or CSE (including opioid only) blocks, and the risks and benefits of intravenous preloading for women with pregnancy complications, is required. |