EPIDURAL ANALGESIA;

EFFECT ON THE DURATION OF LABOUR

Abstract

Introduction. The influence of epidural analgesia on the length of labour
remains a source of controversy in literature. Objectives. To see the effect of epidural analgesia on the duration of
active first stage and second stage of labour. Setting: Obstetric Department of CMH Kharian. Period: From 1 January st
2005 to 31 March 2006. Material and methods. One hundred pregnant full term, women were included in the study. st
Fifty primiparous reporting at full term, half were given epidural analgesia the other half were control. Another fifty
multiparous reporting at full term, twenty five women were given epidural the other twenty five were control. Results.
The mean duration of active first stage of labour in primiparous women after 3 – 4 centimeter cervical dilatation was
5.10 hrs in the epidural group while it was 6.65 hrs in the control group (p less than 0.001). In the multiparous women
the mean duration of active first stage of labour after 3 – 4 centimeter cervical dilatation was 2.40 hrs in the epidural
group while it was 3.43 hrs in the control group (p less than 0.001). In the primiparous women the mean second stage
was 23.76 minutes in the epidural group, and 37.33 minutes in the control group (p less than 0.001). In the multiparous
group, the mean second stage was 17.58 minutes in the epidural group, and 22.00 minutes in the control group (p less
than 0.001). Conclusion. Epidural analgesia decreases the duration of active first stage and second stage of labour.