Journal of AdvancedMedical and Dental Sciences Research

Background: The goal of labor analgesia is to provide adequate pain relief without causing any maternal and fetal jeopardy. Continuous epidural analgesia is the most versatile and most commonly employed technique. The present study was conducted to assess efficacy of epidural bupivacaine and fentanyl for labour analgesia. Materials & Methods: 56 pregnant women primigravida and multigravida (ASA grade II) in the age range of 18 to 45 years were given first loading dose of 10 ml 0.25% plain bupivacaine via epidural catheter followed by continuous epidural infusion of 0.0625% bupivacaine with 2.5 mcg/ml fentanyl @ 12ml/hr. The parturients were assessed for onset and duration of analgesia and VAS. Results: 16 were Primigravida and 40 were Multigravida. The difference was significant (P< 0.05). VAS score on 1st stage was 2.95 and in 2nd stage was 3.12. The difference was significant (P< 0.05). Satisfaction score was excellent in 4, good in 50 and poor in 2 cases. The difference was significant (P< 0.05). Conclusion: Epidural labour analgesia with low dose bupivacaine with fentanyl given through continuous infusion technique provides good pain relief. Key words: Epidural labour analgesia, Fentanyl, Bupivacaine