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[Plasma levels of beta-endorphins and ACTH in labor with continuous peridural analgesia]
M L Borgia1, A Piccardo, P Aragona
1IV Servizio di Anestesia, Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza.
Minerva Anestesiologica
|May 1, 1996
Abstract:
In order to investigate whether continuous lumbar epidural analgesia is associated with alterations of plasma levels of beta-endorphins and ACTH, we have studied a group (A) of patients under epidural analgesia and a matched group of control (B) at different stages of labour. Plasma levels of beta-endorphins and ACTH in group A did not significantly change during the labour, while in group B beta-endorphins and ACTH increased in the second stage of labour and decreased thereafter one hour after delivery. The levels of beta-endorphins and ACTH in umbilical cord mix blood were elevated in both groups.