Posture and the spread of extradural analgesia in labour.
Thirty-five patients kept in a sitting position for 5 min after a standard extradural injection in labour were compared with 54 patients maintained in the left lateral position throughout. The mean upper limit of analgesia was unchanged. A significant shift of the mean lower limit occurred in the sitting patients (P = 0.05, two-tailed), but contrary to classical teaching this was in a cephalad direction. Successful sacral blockade (analgesia at S234) and asymmetry of blockade occurred in a similar proportion of each group. It was concluded that the sitting position conferred no clinical advantage to patients receiving extradural analgesia in labour.
D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural; D000773:Anesthesia, Obstetrical; D002045:Bupivacaine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D011187:Posture; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors
D002045:Bupivacaine