[30 microg intrathecal clonidine prolongs labour analgesia, but increases the incidence of hypotension and abnormal foetal heart rate patterns].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the efficacy of spinal clonidine combined with bupivacaine and sufentanil and its effects on maternal and foetal outcome.


METHODS
Prospective double-blind randomized study.


METHODS
One hundred and five patients requesting labour analgesia had combined spinal epidural analgesia with intrathecal bupivacaine 2.5 mg and were randomly assigned to receive in addition either sufentanil 5 microg (S5), sufentanil 5 microg and clonidine 30 microg (C30), or sufentanil 10 microg (S10). Onset time, duration of analgesia, visual analogue scores, blood pressure, ephedrine requirements, heart rate, nausea, pruritus, sedation, motor block, foetal heart rate abnormalities, mode of delivery and Apgar scores were recorded.


RESULTS
Mean duration of spinal analgesia was significantly longer in patients receiving spinal clonidine compared to patients in S5 group (144+/-61 min versus 95+/-37 min). The onset time of analgesia was significantly shorter in S10 group (3+/-1 min) versus C30 group (4+/-1 min) and S5 group (4+/-1 min) (P=0.002). Hypotension was significantly more frequent in C30 group (29 versus 3% and 3% in S5 and S10 groups) (p=0,001). Foetal heart rate abnormalities and sedation were also significantly more frequent in C30 group. Mode of delivery (spontaneous, instrumental or caesarean delivery) and Apgar scores were unaffected by clonidine treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Intrathecal clonidine 30 mug prolongs analgesia. However, it increases the incidence of hypotension, and abnormal foetal heart rate patterns. Thus, this study confirms that the use of 30 mug intrathecal clonidine for labour analgesia is not recommended.
Belhadj Amor
M
M
Service d'anesthésie-réanimation, hôpital militaire principal d'instruction de Tunis, 1008 Montfleury, Tunis, Tunisie. mondherbenhaj@yahoo.fr
Draief
A
A
Ouezini
R
R
Dhahri
S
S
Jebali
A
A
Lamine
K
K
Ferjani
M
M
D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000775:Anesthesia, Spinal / Q000379:methods; D002045:Bupivacaine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003000:Clonidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006340:Heart Rate, Fetal / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007022:Hypotension / Q000139:chemically induced*; D007278:Injections, Spinal; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017409:Sufentanil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013997:Time Factors
D000700:Analgesics; D017409:Sufentanil; D003000:Clonidine; D002045:Bupivacaine