A prospective randomized double-blind study comparing the dose-response curves of epidural ropivacaine for labor

Xiao-Dong Huang1, Xiao-Xiao Qiu1, He-Jie Wang2

  • 1Department of Anesthesiology, Hangzhou Women's Hospital, Hangzhou Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Hangzhou First People's Hospital Qianjiang New City Campus, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.

PubMed

Background: Previous studies have explored the median effective concentration (EC50) of ropivacaine for labor epidural analgesia in parturients with obesity. However, the clinical relevance of the 90% effective concentration (EC90) remains unclear. This study aimed to determine and compare the dose-response curve of epidural ropivacaine for labor analgesia between parturients with and without obesity. Methods: Parturients were divided into two groups based on body mass index (BMI): group N, consisting of parturients with BMI <30 kg/m2, and group O, consisting of parturients with BMI >30 kg/m2. Within each group, the patients were randomized to receive one of five concentrations (0.0375%, 0.075%, 0.1125%, 0.15%, or 0.1875%) of epidural ropivacaine for labor analgesia. Analgesia was induced with a loading dose of 15 mL of the assigned concentration. Visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were recorded at baseline and 30 min post-dose to calculate the response (%) using the formula [(baseline VAS pain score-VAS pain score at 30 min)/baseline VAS pain score] ×100%. The EC50 and EC90 values were determined via nonlinear regression analysis. Results: The EC50 and EC90 values of ropivacaine were 0.061% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.056%-0.066%) and 0.177% (95% CI, 0.152%-0.206%) in group N and 0.056% (95% CI, 0.051%-0.061%) and 0.161% (95% CI, 0.138%-0.187%) in group O, respectively. No significant differences were observed in the EC50 and EC90 values between the two groups (p-values = 0.121 and 0.351, respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, within the parameters of this study, our findings suggest that obesity, characterized by a mean BMI value of 30.9, does not significantly influence the EC50 and EC90 values of epidural ropivacaine for labor analgesia. Further investigations are warranted to elucidate the dose-response relationship between ropivacaine and obesity with higher BMI values. Clinical trial registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=190747, Identifier ChiCTR2300073273.

Related Concept Videos

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia01:29

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia

Epidural anesthetics are administered in the fat-filled epidural space, the outermost part of the spinal canal. This technique is commonly employed for pain management and anesthesia during lower abdomen and pelvis surgeries or labor and delivery.
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...
432
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Spinal Anesthesia01:11

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Spinal Anesthesia

Spinal anesthetics are given during lower abdomen and limb surgeries to block sensory and motor neurons. They are administered in the mid to low lumbar regions, primarily acting on the cauda equina's nerve roots. The blockade level depends on the local anesthetic (LA) concentration. Usually, low LA concentrations are sufficient to block sensory fibers, while only high LA concentrations block motor fibers. Other factors like injection volume and speed, the patient's posture, and the drug...
627
Local Anesthetics: Differential Sensitivity of Nerve Fibers01:24

Local Anesthetics: Differential Sensitivity of Nerve Fibers

Local anesthetics (LAs) block the sodium channels of nerve trunks, sensory nerve endings, and neuromuscular junctions. Although LAs can block all kinds of nerves, the sensitivity of nerve fibers differs according to nerve types and structures. LAs are known to block myelinated fibers faster than unmyelinated ones. Also, they block pain or sensory neurons at low concentrations without affecting the motor neurons involved in muscle contractions. This helps relieve labor pain without affecting the...
817
Analgesia and Pain Management01:25

Analgesia and Pain Management

Pain is critical to various clinical pathologies, provoking an urgent need for effective management. Pain, whether acute or chronic, is a complex neurochemical process. Its alleviation depends on the type, with nonopioid analgesics effective for mild to moderate pain, such as musculoskeletal or inflammatory pain, while neuropathic pain responds best to anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, or serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. For severe acute or chronic pain, opioids may be...
618
Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids01:15

Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids

Synthetic and semisynthetic opioids are pivotal in pain management and tackling opioid addiction. Semisynthetic opioids, including morphinans (morphine derivatives), oxycodone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone, and hydromorphone, have improved pharmacokinetic profiles compared to morphine. Additionally, heroin and 6-MAM (6-Monoacetylmorphine) show better CNS penetration than morphine due to heightened lipid solubility. Hydromorphone, a potent opioid, undergoes hepatic metabolism to form the active...
295
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Intravenous Regional Anesthesia01:16

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Intravenous Regional Anesthesia

Intravenous regional anesthesia or the Bier block technique is used to anesthetize a specific limb or extremity. It uses exsanguinated or blood-drained vessels to transport local anesthetics or LAs to the peripheral nerve trunks. Lidocaine without vasoconstrictors like epinephrine is most commonly used for this technique. Other drugs used are prilocaine, ropivacaine, and chloroprocaine. Bupivacaine is not recommended for this technique due to its high cardiac toxicity.
One of the advantages of...
413