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Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation does not augment epidural labor analgesia
1Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Department of Anaesthesia, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. ltsen@zeus.bwh.harvard.edu
Journal of Clinical Anesthesia
|January 5, 2002
Summary
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) did not improve the quality or duration of epidural labor analgesia. This study found no significant difference in pain relief when using TENS alongside bupivacaine for labor pain management.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Anesthesiology
- Pain Management
Background:
- Epidural analgesia is a common method for managing labor pain.
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a non-invasive modality used for pain relief.
- The potential synergistic effect of TENS with epidural analgesia requires investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) enhances the quality and duration of epidural bupivacaine analgesia during labor.
- To evaluate the impact of TENS on pain scores, sensory and motor blockade, and cervical dilation.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, double-blind study was conducted at a tertiary-care academic medical center.
- 40 healthy laboring parturients received a standardized epidural technique with either active or inactive TENS.
- Pain, sensory and motor blockade, and duration of analgesia were assessed.
Main Results:
- The duration of analgesia did not significantly differ between the TENS group (80.7 min) and the control group (82.3 min).
- Kaplan-Meier and Mantel-Cox analyses showed no difference in treatment outcomes (p = 0.75).
- No significant difference in the quality of analgesia was observed between the groups.
Conclusions:
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) does not appear to alter the quality or duration of initial epidural bupivacaine doses for labor analgesia.
- The findings suggest TENS is not an effective adjunct for enhancing standard epidural labor pain management.