title: Maternal and foetal plasma bupivacaine concentrations in labour with segmental epidural analgesia.
abstract: Maternal and foetal plasma bupivacaine concentrations were assayed following segmental epidural analgesia during the first stage of 14 normal labours. Analgesia was accomplished with 20 mg of 0.5% bupivacaine. 10 mothers received only one dose and four mothers two doses. The maternal and foetal plasma bupivacaine levels remained very low and the foetomaternal ratios were about 1:4 during the labour. At delivery, the foeto-maternal ratio increased, showing that the decline of bupivacaine concentrations is slower in foetal than in maternal plasma.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural; D000773:Anesthesia, Obstetrical; D001034:Apgar Score; D002045:Bupivacaine / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000032:analysis; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007747:Labor Stage, First; D007748:Labor Stage, Second; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D002045:Bupivacaine