Impact of epidural analgesia on cesarean and operative vaginal delivery rates classified by the Ten Groups Classification System

Epidural analgesia (EA) is the gold standard for pain relief during labor and delivery. Multiple randomized controlled trials show lower maternal pain scores and higher maternal satisfaction with epidural analgesia during labor compared to other analgesic techniques, such as systemic opioids and nitrous oxide.1 –4 In spite of its efficacy and increased use there has been significant controversy regarding the impact of EA on labor outcomes. Although evidence suggests that EA does not increase the overall rate of cesarean delivery,5 its impact on other outcomes, such as need for assisted vaginal delivery, has been studied much less frequently and thoroughly.
Source: International Journal of Obstetric Anesthesia - Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Tags: Original Article Source Type: research