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Article

Safety and Efficiency of Low-Dose Spinal Analgesia Compared to Epidural Analgesia in Treatment of Pain during Labour: A Case Control Study

1
Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Therapy, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2
Goethe University Frankfurt, University Hospital, Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(18), 5770; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12185770
Submission received: 16 July 2023 / Revised: 23 August 2023 / Accepted: 2 September 2023 / Published: 5 September 2023
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anesthesia and Pain Management for Women)

Abstract

Background: The epidural catheter for analgesia has been used for decades and has become the gold standard in pain therapy for pregnant women in labour. However, procedural parameters such as time to pain relief and duration to implementation pose hurdles for patients shortly before delivery. Low-dose spinal analgesia (LDSA) is an alternative procedure that was investigated in the study with regard to patient satisfaction and complication rates compared to epidural catheter. Methods: In a retrospective monocentric study, a total of 242 patients receiving low-dose spinal analgesia or epidural catheters were evaluated using propensity score matching. Subjective patient satisfaction as well as complication rates were primarily analysed. We hypothesise that LDSA is a safe procedure and provides a similar level of satisfaction compared with the epidural catheter. For this purpose, both procedures were performed according to in-house standards and the patients were interviewed afterwards. Patients who required surgical delivery were excluded to prevent bias. Results: The LDSA was rated on average as very good [1.09 ± 0.311 vs. 1.07 ± 0.431] in terms of satisfaction by the patients compared to the epidural catheter without showing a significant difference (p = 0.653). Complications were in the low single-digit non-significant range for both procedures [6 (5%) vs. 7 (6%); p = 0.776]. The evaluation showed more perineal tears I° and II° in the low-dose spinal analgesia group [I°: 28 (23%) vs. 3 (2%); p < 0.001—II°: 30 (25%) vs. 2 (2%); p < 0.001]. Neonatal parameters differed significantly only in umbilical cord base excess and umbilical cord venous pH [−5.40 vs. −6.40; p = 0.005]. Conclusions: LDSA represents a low complication procedure for patients at the end of labour with a high satisfaction level. With the LDSA in the repertoire of pain relief during childbirth, it is possible to also achieve pain reduction for women with deliveries of high velocity without compromising patient satisfaction or perinatal morbidity.
Keywords: spinal anaesthesia; birth; epidural catheter; pain spinal anaesthesia; birth; epidural catheter; pain

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MDPI and ACS Style

Calineata, M.; Jennewein, L.; Neef, V.; Flinspach, A.N.; Louwen, F.; Zacharowski, K.; Raimann, F.J. Safety and Efficiency of Low-Dose Spinal Analgesia Compared to Epidural Analgesia in Treatment of Pain during Labour: A Case Control Study. J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12, 5770. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12185770

AMA Style

Calineata M, Jennewein L, Neef V, Flinspach AN, Louwen F, Zacharowski K, Raimann FJ. Safety and Efficiency of Low-Dose Spinal Analgesia Compared to Epidural Analgesia in Treatment of Pain during Labour: A Case Control Study. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2023; 12(18):5770. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12185770

Chicago/Turabian Style

Calineata, Martin, Lukas Jennewein, Vanessa Neef, Armin Niklas Flinspach, Frank Louwen, Kai Zacharowski, and Florian Jürgen Raimann. 2023. "Safety and Efficiency of Low-Dose Spinal Analgesia Compared to Epidural Analgesia in Treatment of Pain during Labour: A Case Control Study" Journal of Clinical Medicine 12, no. 18: 5770. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12185770

APA Style

Calineata, M., Jennewein, L., Neef, V., Flinspach, A. N., Louwen, F., Zacharowski, K., & Raimann, F. J. (2023). Safety and Efficiency of Low-Dose Spinal Analgesia Compared to Epidural Analgesia in Treatment of Pain during Labour: A Case Control Study. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 12(18), 5770. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12185770

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