title: Comparison of patient-controlled epidural analgesia and continuous epidural infusion for labor analgesia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In recent years, patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) has been developed as an attractive alternative to continuous epidural infusion (CEI) for labor pain control. PCEA is still not popular for labor pain control in Taiwan and disparities may exist between different ethnic and cultural groups toward the attitude of labor pain control. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there were any differences between PCEA and CEI in the maintenance of epidural analgesia for Taiwanese parturients undergoing spontaneous delivery.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collected data of 179 parturient requests for epidural labor analgesia. They were allocated into two groups with PCEA (n = 81) or CEI (n = 98) for maintenance with the same solution of 0.08% ropivacaine and 2 microg/mL fentanyl mixture. The demographic characteristics, epidural maintenance methods, dosage requirements, obstetrical outcomes, intervention of inadequate analgesia or side effects, and the quality of labor analgesia of parturient were also analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no differences in demographic characteristics, duration of 1st and 2nd stages, delivery methods, fetal Apgar scores, local anesthetics usage, and analgesic qualities between the PCEA and CEI groups. There were also more requirements for intervention by the anesthesiologist due to inadequate analgesia in the CEI group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study provided further evidence that PCEA is a highly effective method of the control of labor pain, which was highly accepted by women in labor. In a busy obstetric unit, this could potentially improve parturient satisfaction and reduce the workloads of clinicians and nurses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei.
authors.forename: Sheng-Huan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shiue-Chin
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Liou
authors.forename: Chao-Tsen
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Ming-Hung
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.forename: Chit
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shih-Chang
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Chi-Hao
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: Shu-Yam
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015360:Analgesia, Epidural / Q000379:methods*; D016362:Analgesia, Obstetrical / Q000379:methods*; D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies