title: Maternal and fetal effects of continuous lumbar epidural analgesia for labour and delivery in pre-eclamptic patients.
abstract: The effects of continuous lumbar epidural analgesia for normal labour were studied in 28 women with pre-eclampsia and in 15 normal women who served as control. Maternal hemodynamics, acid-base and blood gas findings were examined. Newborn infants were assessed by Apgar Scores together with umbilical vein and artery blood gas and acid-base values. Mild significant reduction in maternal mean arterial blood pressure occurred in the pre-eclamptic patients which was corrected easily by intravenous crystalloid infusion. Maternal and newborn acid-base and blood gas findings showed no significant changes between the pre-eclamptic and control groups. Apgar Scores in both groups were good. The study indicates that continuous epidural analgesia is a useful form of therapy in the management of normal labour in women with pre-eclampsia.
mesh_terms: D000136:Acid-Base Equilibrium; D000328:Adult; D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000773:Anesthesia, Obstetrical / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001034:Apgar Score; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011674:Pulse / Q000187:drug effects