Comparison of patient-controlled and nurse-administered analgesia using intravenous fentanyl during labor

Preliminary observations have shown that fentanyl citrate, a potent narcotic, is helpful during labor without undue side effects. This randomized prospective investigation compared the patient-controlled administration of fentanyl with that of administration by nurses on request. Eighty healthy women beginning active labor (cervical dilation 4 cm) at term were assigned to receive fentanyl intravenously by either patient-controlled administration (n=37) or nurse administration on demand (n=43). Pain intensity measurements during early and late labor revealed the degree of analgesia to be the same in both groups. The delay in setting up the infusion system and the short time between requesting analgesia and vaginal delivery were limitations with self-administration. Maternal oversedation and vomiting did not occur. Neonatal naloxone therapy was used infrequently, umbilical serum levels of fentanyl were the same in both groups, and postnatal neuroadaptive testing revealed comparable results in both groups. Despite the usefulness of fentanyl during labor, administration by the patient had no advantages over administration by the nurses in significantly reducing drug use, improving pain relief, or avoiding drowsiness.