title: Anesthesia and analgesia for labor.
abstract: Epidural analgesia remains the mainstay for providing pain relief during labor. The search continues to find the ideal combination of analgesic agents and administration techniques that will provide excellent pain relief for the mother yet minimize side effects to the mother and fetus. This article reviews recent studies of epidural analgesia, including the increased use of epidural opioids, patient-controlled epidural analgesia, and the complications of epidural analgesia (including effects on gastric emptying, maternal temperature control, and hemodynamic changes to the mother and fetus). Intrathecal (spinal) analgesia, especially using opioids, is also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology/Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: R U
authors.initials: RU
authors.lastname: Michitsch
mesh_terms: D015360:Analgesia, Epidural / Q000009:adverse effects; D016362:Analgesia, Obstetrical / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural / Q000009:adverse effects; D000773:Anesthesia, Obstetrical / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D000775:Anesthesia, Spinal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy