Intrathecal labor analgesia: can we use the same mixture as is used epidurally?

In a randomized double-blind study, three groups of 25 term parturients received one of the following intrathecal drugs or combinations for relief of labor pain: sufentanil 7.5 microg (1.5 ml), sufentanil 5 microg + bupivacaine 1 mg (1.5 ml) or the combination bupivacaine 1.75 mg, sufentanil 1.05 microg and epinephrine 1.75 microg, that is 1.5 ml of our standard epidural mixture. After the intrathecal injection, patients received a peridural catheter for supplementation of analgesia. Onset and duration of the three regimens were similar. Analgesia lasted for approximately 95-115 minutes which was similar to durations obtained with the subsequent epidural top-ups. Pruritus was observed significantly less frequently in the group treated intrathecally with the epidural mixture. The incidence of other maternal side-effects was extremely low and not different among the groups. Instrumental delivery, Apgar scores and umbilical blood gases were identical. More cardiotocographic changes were observed in the plain sufentanil group but this was not related to neonatal outcome. It was concluded that intrathecal injection of the standard epidural mixture offers effective and long-lasting analgesia. This may avoid side-effects and complications, manipulations of drugs with the risk for contamination, spilling of drugs and loss of time.