title: Low-dose intrathecal morphine sulphate as sole analgesic for pain of labour in combination with elective forceps delivery. A report of 10 cases.
abstract: Preservative-free morphine sulphate (0.5 mg in 0.5 ml normal saline) was injected intrathecally as the sole analgesic in 10 primiparous patients in the first stage of labour. Elective forceps were applied under pudendal block anaesthesia to assist the second stage of labour to prevent cephalad spread during bearing down, and so reduce the side-effects of morphine sulphate. All patients reported good analgesia during the first stage of labour. There was no loss of the bearing down reflex and, except for mild peri-oral itching in 6 patients, no side-effect attributable to intrathecal morphine was noted. No side-effects of morphine sulphate were observed in any of the infants delivered. It is concluded that intrathecal morphine sulphate combined with elective forceps delivery provides a satisfactory alternative to epidural anaesthesia in those patients whose cardiovascular status demands preservation of a normal or elevated systemic vascular resistance.
authors: Department of Anaesthesia, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
authors: V S
authors: VS
authors: Kadieva
authors: A P
authors: AP
authors: Boezaart
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015360:Analgesia, Epidural; D016362:Analgesia, Obstetrical / Q000379:methods*; D005113:Extraction, Obstetrical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D009020:Morphine