Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 8, 2026

Non-restraining EEG Radiotelemetry: Epidural and Deep Intracerebral Stereotaxic EEG Electrode Placement
Published on: June 25, 2016
Epidural Analgesia during Labor: Attitudes among Expectant Mothers and Their Care Providers
Garg Kamakshi1, Grewal Anju2, Singh Tania3
1Department of Anaesthesia, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
Introduction:
Varying levels of knowledge and attitudes among parturients and physicians toward epidural analgesia result in its low utilization. We aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of parturients, obstetricians, and anesthesiologists regarding epidural labor analgesia.
Methodology:
We surveyed obstetricians, anesthesiologists, and parturients availing care and later delivered at our hospital from July 1, 2017, to December 31, 2017. Knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding epidural analgesia were collected using a semi-structured predesigned questionnaire. Data were described as frequencies and analyzed for association between parity and various beliefs and attitudes using Chi-square or Fisher's exact test.
Results:
About 33% of the parturients knew that delivery is possible without labor pains, but only 18% were satisfied with the procedure. Timely epidural anesthesia could not be availed by 83% of the parturients due to unavailability of service. Among the obstetricians, 64% preferred epidural analgesia and thought that epidural analgesia prolongs the duration of labor, and 55% thought that it would increase the incidence of lower uterine segment cesarean section (LUSCS). In our survey, 48% of all anesthesiologists thought that epidural analgesia would lead to an increase in the incidence of instrumental delivery, 52% required intravenous analgesics with epidural, and 63% thought that it would not increase the incidence of LUSCS. Fear of labor and delivery pain, knowledge status, unwillingness and demand for epidural analgesia, satisfaction level, and reasons for not undergoing the procedure were significantly associated with the gravid status.
Conclusion:
Wide gap between desire for labor analgesia and its availability exists. A collaborative approach between anesthesiologists and obstetricians is required to disseminate correct information regarding epidural analgesia.
Related Concept Videos
Attitudes
Expected Value
Analgesia and Pain Management
Determination of Expected Frequency
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia
Since epidural anesthetics can be infused through an epidural catheter, all types of drugs, including short-acting ones, can be administered. Chloroprocaine and lidocaine are examples of short and long-duration anesthetics, respectively. Bupivacaine...
Interdisciplinary Care: The Health Care Team-I
Physicians
The physician's primary responsibility is to diagnose illness and direct the medical or surgical treatment of the condition. The authority to admit patients to a healthcare agency or institution and practice care within that setting is granted to physicians by the healthcare agency or institution...

