A CONTROLLED TRIAL OF EXTRADURAL FENTANYL IN LABOUR

Abstract
In a double-blind trial carried out on patients in the 1st stage of labor, either fentanyl 80 .mu.g (no. = 35) or physiological saline (no. = 33) was added to the test dose of bupivacaine and administered extradurally. Thereafter, analgesia was maintained as necessary with 0.5% bupivacaine alone. Supplementary bupivacaine (a further dose within 1 h) was required to produce satisfactory analgesia in 8 patients in the fentanyl group and in 26 patients in the control group. Analgesia was more rapid in onset and more complete in the fentanyl group, and the duration from 1st dose to 1st top-up was 2.36 h, compared with 1.66 h (supplements notwithstanding) in the control group. No serious side-effects were encountered in either group, although 8 patients in the fentanyl group experienced mild itching, compared with 1 in the control group.