BACKGROUND: Intrathecal fentanyl has been known to have rapid analgesic effect for the first stage of labor, but pruritus usually occurs, and respiratory depression can happen. The addition of bupivacaine during intrathecal analgesia has been known to have synergistic action with intrathecal opioids. We observed the efficacy of the intrathecal injection of morphine, fentanyl, and bupivacaine on labor parturients. METHODS: 20 laboring patients were studied. Each patients received morphine 0.2 mg, bupivacaine 2.5 mg, and fentanyl 10 microgram intrathecally. Analgesia was assessed using visual analogue scale (VAS) score as the time elapsed from the drug administration to the delivery. Side effects such as nausea, vomiting, pruritus, urinary retention, respiratory depression, and hypotension were evaluated. RESULTS: The onset of analgesia was rapid (within 5 minutes) and VAS scores were significantly lower than pre-treatment value for 5 hours. The incidence of nausea or vomiting was 55% (11/20). Pruritus occurred 50% (10/20). The occurrence of urinary retention was 35% (7/20). Hypotension occurred 10% (2/20). No patient developed post dural-puncture headache, respiratory depression, fetal bradycardia, or motor weakness. More than 90% of the patients in this study said that they were satisfied with this analgesic procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Intrathecal injection of morphine 0.2 mg, fentanyl 10 microgram, and bupivacaine 2.5 mg provided rapid and effective analgesia in labor patients.
Analgesia* ; Analgesics, Opioid ; Bradycardia ; Bupivacaine* ; Female ; Fentanyl* ; Headache ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Incidence ; Injections, Spinal* ; Labor Pain ; Morphine* ; Nausea ; Pregnancy ; Pruritus ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Urinary Retention ; Vomiting

BACKGROUND: Urapidil is a new antihypertensive agent known to diminish total peripheral vascular resistance by postsynaptic alpha 1-adrenergic blockade and central sympatholytic activity. The purpose of this study was to determine its effectiveness and safety in preventing hemodynamic responses to endotracheal intubation under general anesthesia. METHODS: Thirty normotensive, ASA physical status I patients for elective surgery were selected randomly. They were divided into three groups(Group 1: control group with saline, Group 2: urapidil 0.4 mg/kg, Group 3: urapidil 0.5 mg/kg, n=10 in each group). The drugs were injected 3 minutes before induction with thiopental sodium(4 mg/kg) and succinylcholine(1 mg/kg). Endotracheal intubation was performed 5 minutes after the drugs injection. After endotracheal intubation, vecuronium 0.1 mg/kg was injected and 50% nitrous oxide in oxygen and 2Vol% enflurane were inhaled. We measured the blood pressure and the heart rate with noninvasive method at one minute interval for 5 minutes. RESULTS: In group 3, no significant increase in systolic blood pressure after endotracheal intubation was noted(p<0.05). Urapidil groups showed increase in heart rate at 1, 2 minutes after urapidil injection(p<0.05) and did not blunt increase in heart rate after endotracheal intubation. The side effects of urapidil(hypotension, dizziness, headache and chest tightness) occured in a patient of group 3. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the blood pressure response was effectively controlled, but the change in heart rate was not controlled by urapidil 0.5 mg/kg injection before induction.
Anesthesia, General ; Arterial Pressure* ; Blood Pressure ; Dizziness ; Enflurane ; Headache ; Heart Rate* ; Heart* ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Intubation ; Intubation, Intratracheal* ; Nitrous Oxide ; Oxygen ; Thiopental ; Thorax ; Vascular Resistance ; Vecuronium Bromide