Pethidine compared with meptazinol during labour. A prospective randomised double-blind study in 1100 patients

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Pharmacology
• Pain Management

Background:

• Parenteral analgesics are commonly used for labor pain relief.
• Pethidine is a standard analgesic, while meptazinol is an alternative option.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy and safety of pethidine and meptazinol for labor analgesia.
• To assess maternal and neonatal outcomes in a large cohort of women.

Main Methods:

• A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial involving 1,100 women undergoing labor.
• Independent pain assessments by patients and midwives at 30-minute intervals.
• Monitoring of maternal/neonatal side effects, resuscitation needs, and infant weight changes.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in analgesia efficacy between pethidine and meptazinol.
• Similar side effect profiles, with higher vomiting incidence for meptazinol.
• No differences in neonatal resuscitation, weight changes, or jaundice between groups.

Conclusions:

• Both pethidine and meptazinol provide suboptimal labor pain relief.
• Parenteral analgesics are associated with a high incidence of side effects.
• Further research into more effective and safer labor pain management is warranted.