A survey of epidural analgesia for labour in the United Kingdom.
A postal survey of obstetric units throughout the UK was conducted to obtain information about the provision of epidural analgesia for labour. Ninety per cent of units offered a 24-h epidural service and the average epidural rate was 24%. The most commonly administered epidural test dose was 3 ml of bupivacaine 0.5% and bupivacaine 0. 25% was most often used as the initial epidural top-up. Continuous infusions of low-dose bupivacaine and opioid mixtures were the most popular method of maintenance epidural analgesia. Twenty-four per cent of units offered combined spinal-epidural analgesia in addition to standard epidural analgesia. Midwives played a prominent role in the administration of epidural bolus top-ups and also in the assessment and maintenance of continuous epidural infusions.
Department of Anaesthesia, Addenbrooke's NHS Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, UK.
R
R
Burnstein
R
R
Buckland
J A
JA
Pickett
D015360:Analgesia, Epidural / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000773:Anesthesia, Obstetrical / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D002045:Bupivacaine; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006276:Health Facility Size; D006771:Hospitals, Maternity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D011247:Pregnancy; D006113:United Kingdom
D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D002045:Bupivacaine