title: Analysis and evaluation of the effectiveness of epidural analgesia and its relationship with eutocic or dystocic delivery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Numerous studies have demonstrated the difference in the verbal rating scale with regard to obstructed labour and induced labour, so that obstructed labour and foetal macrosomia have been related to a greater sensation of pain during labour, particularly in the first stage. Even the epidural analgesia is linked to the need for instrumented or caesarean section due to foetal obstruction. The goal of the study is to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of epidural analgesia in normal versus obstructed labour.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and eighty pregnant women were included in an observational, analytical, longitudinal and prospective study, that was performed in the Obstetrics Department of the Hospital Universitario Dexeus. All the nulliparous or multiparous over 36 weeks of pregnancy, after 3cm of cervical dilatation in spontaneous or induced labor were included. All the patients were given epidural analgesia according to protocol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The basic descriptive methods were used for the univariate statistical analysis of the sample and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for the comparison of means between both groups. The correlations between variables were studied by means of the Spearman coefficient of correlation. The differences regarded as statistically significant are those whose P<.05.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our population there were no statistically significant differences in the effectiveness of epidural analgesia in normal versus obstructed labour. Patients who got epidural analgesia and had obstructed labors have the same degree of verbal rating scale as patients that do not had obstructed labors (P>.05).
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Anestesiología y Reanimación, Hospital Universitario Dexeus, Barcelona, España. Electronic address: virginia.smp@gmail.com.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Migallón
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Anestesiología y Reanimación, Hospital Universitario Dexeus, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Anestesiología y Reanimación, Hospital Universitario Dexeus, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raynard
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Anestesiología y Reanimación, Hospital Universitario Dexeus, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Anestesiología y Reanimación, Hospital Universitario Dexeus, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Borràs
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015360:Analgesia, Epidural; D016362:Analgesia, Obstetrical / Q000379:methods*; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D004420:Dystocia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anestesia epidural; Anestesia obstétrica; Distocia; Dolor; Dystocia; Embarazo; Epidural anesthesia; Obstetrical anesthesia; Pain; Pregnancy