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Combined spinal-epidural versus epidural analgesia for labor and delivery

Adam D Niesen1, Adam K Jacob

  • 1Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street Southwest, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.

Clinics in Perinatology
|August 27, 2013
PubMed

The rapid onset of analgesia and improved mobility with combined spinal-epidural (CSE) techniques has been associated with a higher degree of maternal satisfaction compared with conventional epidural analgesia. However, controversy exists in that initiation of labor analgesia with a CSE may be associated with an increased risk for nonreassuring fetal status (ie, fetal bradycardia) and a subsequent need for emergent cesarean delivery. Overall, both epidural and CSE techniques possess unique risk/benefit profiles, and the decision to use one technique rather than the other should be determined based on individual patient and clinical circumstances.

Keywords:
Combined spinal-epiduralEpiduralLabor analgesia

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