[Analgesia and anesthesia in obstetrics. Territorial investigation]

There is a more and more interest regarding methods of obstetric analgesia and anesthesia while there is a lack of epidemiological data about local experiences.

This survey on obstetric anesthesia and analgesia in Abruzzo and Molise is based on data obtained from questionnaires of 28 questions sent to all the departments of anesthesiology in the two regions.

Out of 24 questionnaires sent, 18 were returned. By analysing the replies obtained in this investigation it is clearly pointed out how the possibility of having peridural analgesia during labor is often not available. In fact, only one center is able to guarantee an operative service 24 hours a day. Many colleagues have reported this deficit and in order to improve the situation they have proposed to activate chargeable services for labor analgesia and to increase the staff of anesthetists. Also the data concerning treatment of post vaginal delivery pain are not satisfactory. With regard to the Caesarean sections, locoregional anesthesia is performed in 24% of all cases, while the highest scores are registered in the hospitals of Castel di Sangro and L'Aquila, where general anesthesia is practically never employed. Merely in 67% of all patients postoperative analgesia is carried out on a regular basis.

The data obtained only confirm the extent of a well-known problem. In spite of the growing interest by the medical community, the attention shown for obstetric anesthesia and analgesia is, nevertheless, insufficient, especially due to financial and organizational problems which prevent from establishing a permanent pain therapy center.