title: Immediate and delayed complications of epidural analgesia in labour and delivery.
abstract: A prospective controlled, longitudinal study investigated the immediate and delayed complications of epidural analgesia in labour. One hundred and twenty-two parturients were studied: 81 had epidurals in labour and 41 had other forms of analgesia. Each parturient was studied over a period of 6 weeks. Epidural analgesia in labour and delivery is generally safe. Although the epidural group recorded more complications, they tended to be minor ones such as backache, headaches, shoulder and neck pain. Epidural blocks have an added advantage of being helpful in complicated labours like breech presentations, multiple pregnancies, pre-eclampsia, in situations where caesarean section is anticipated and in manual removal of the placenta.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Wexham Park Hospital, Slough, UK.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Okojie
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cook