Combined spinal epidural does not cause a higher sensory block than single shot spinal technique for cesarean delivery in laboring women.
BACKGROUND
The combined spinal epidural (CSE) technique has been shown to result in a higher sensory block than an equivalent single shot spinal (SSS) in women undergoing elective cesarean delivery. We tested whether this is true also in laboring women who may have variable epidural pressures.


METHODS
We randomized 40 ASA I parturients in established labor for cesarean delivery into our double-blind study. Group S (n = 20) intrathecally received 2 mL of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine by SSS and group CS received CSE (n = 20) of an equivalent dose of hyperbaric bupivacaine.


RESULTS
We found that similar maximal sensory blocks were achieved in both groups (group S: median T3 [min-max] T6-1 versus group CS: median T3 [min-max] T4-C7, P = 0.517).


CONCLUSIONS
As compared with previous reports in nonlaboring parturients, the block characteristics of CSE in our study were indistinguishable from those of SSS in laboring parturients for cesarean delivery.
Lim
Yvonne
Y
Department of Women's Anesthesia, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, 100 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 229899. YVEL6@hotmail.com
Teoh
Wendy
W
Sia
Alex T
AT
D000328:Adult; D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural / Q000379:methods*; D000773:Anesthesia, Obstetrical / Q000379:methods*; D000775:Anesthesia, Spinal / Q000379:methods*; D002585:Cesarean Section; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy