Community use of paracervical block in labor

Although controversy surrounds obstetric use of paracervical block, few articles report experience from community hospitals. Medical records of 883 obstetric patients at a community hospital were examined to determine frequency and efficacy of paracervical block as well as associated changes in electronic fetal monitor tracings, infant Apgars, and length of hospital stay. Nearly two thirds of laboring women received paracervical anesthesia, three fourths of whom obtained noticeable pain relief. Partial relief was obtained by another 20%. Infants delivered after paracervical block were compared with those unexposed to this therapy and found to be similar in regard to Apgar scores and length of hospital stay. Fetal monitor tracings showed highly concerning alterations in 6% of patients after the block. It is concluded that paracervical block done by the technique described remains an effective and low-risk form of obstetric anesthesia in most obstetric patients in a community hospital.