Fentanyl concentration in maternal and umbilical cord plasma following intranasal or subcutaneous administration in labour

Pethidine has been removed from the South Australian Medicines Formulary due to unfavourable drug properties and its potential to cause adverse maternal and neonatal effects. Traditionally, the opioids most commonly used for labour analgesia were pethidine and morphine.1 However, due to its differing pharmacokinetic profile, fentanyl has been suggested as a suitable alternative to both pethidine and morphine when administered for pain relief during labour. Benefits of fentanyl for labour analgesia include rapid absorption and no active metabolites.
Source: International Journal of Obstetric Anesthesia - Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Tags: Original Article Source Type: research