A comparison of tramadol and pethidine analgesia on the duration of labour: A randomised clinical trial

Background: The ideal obstetric analgesia should provide analgesic efficacy without attenuation of uterine contractions.
Aims: To compare the outcome of intramuscular administration of pethidine and tramadol in labour analgesia.
Methods: One hundred and sixty full-term parturients were randomly assigned to two equal groups in active labour. Group P received 50 mg pethidine; and group T, 100 mg tramadol intramuscularly.
Primary outcome measure was the duration of the labour. The analgesic efficacy, maternal side-effects, mode of delivery, maternal satisfaction and Apgar score as the secondary outcome were assessed.
Results: The duration of labour was shorter in group T, for first stage (190 vs 140 min; P  < 0.0001) and for second stage (33 vs 25 min; P  = 0.001). There were no differences in Groups P and T with respect to median (7 vs 8) and maximum (7.5 vs 8) visual analog scores (VAS) for pain at 10 min and one hour after drug administration. Women in group P had lower VAS pain scores than those in group T in the second stage of labour (8 vs 9; P  = 0/009). There was a significantly higher incidence of nausea and vomiting (35% vs 15%; P  = 0.003) and drowsiness (80% vs 29%; P  < 0.0001) in group P.
Conclusion: Both 100 mg tramadol and 50 mg pethidine provide moderate analgesia in first stage of labour. Tramadol seems to cause a shorter duration of labour and lower incidence of maternal side-effects. However, its analgesic efficacy was not found to be as effective as pethidine, especially in the second stage of labour.     

曲马多对分娩镇痛疗效的研究

为５１例足月临产进入活跃期（宫口开大３～４ｃｍ）产痛剧烈的初产妇肌肉注射曲马多１００ｍｇ行分娩镇痛，并与未用镇痛药物的对照组比较，采用多项指标综合评定镇痛效果和对母儿的影响。结果表明，肌注曲马多１００ｍｇ１５ｍｉｎ后即有镇痛效果，平均２０．３６±５．８７ｍｉｎ，持续２．１６±１．０４ｈ。综合评定，本组曲马多的分娩镇痛有效率为９６．０８％（４９／５１）；随活跃期的进展，产妇血浆皮质醇含量对照组明显升高，镇痛组明显降低，表明曲马多能有效地抑制产痛引起的内分泌变化；镇痛组总产程平均为８．５８±３．６４ｈ，少于对照组的９．１８±３．９４ｈ；新生儿１ｍｉｎ、５ｍｉｎＡｐｇａｒ评分均在７分以上。本组曲马多副反应发生率为９．８０％（５／５１），主要为胃肠道反应，不需特殊处理。     

Analgesic efficacy of intramuscular opioids versus epidural analgesia in labor.

OBJECTIVES: To compare analgesic efficacy of intramuscular opioids: meperidine and tramadol with epidural analgesia. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-eight term nulliparous women with singleton pregnancy and vertex presentation were randomized to receive either epidural (n=43), meperidine (n=39) or tramadol (n=44). A visual analog scale (VAS) was used to assess the severity of pain. The parameters analyzed were analgesic efficacy, effect on labor, other maternal side effects, perinatal outcome and maternal satisfaction. RESULTS: Median VAS scores following first dose were 0 (0-5), 5 (3-8) and 5 (3-8) in epidural, meperidine and tramadol groups, respectively. Ninety percent of women rated analgesia as good to excellent in the epidural group as compared with 72% of women in the meperidine group and 65% in tramadol group. However, epidural caused a significant prolongation of first (P<0.05) and second (P<0.01) stage of labor with an increased number of operative deliveries (27% in the epidural, 7.6% in the meperidine, and 11.4% in the tramadol groups, P<0.05). In the epidural group 40% women had urinary retention and 16% had motor weakness, whereas sedation was the only side effect seen in the meperidine (41%) and tramadol groups (9%). Respiratory depression was noted among three neonates in the meperidine group, two in the tramadol group and none in the epidural group. CONCLUSIONS: The analgesic efficacy and maternal satisfaction is better with epidural analgesia than with opioids. Analgesia provided by meperidine and tramadol is comparable and approximately 50% of women rated the analgesia as good. Meperidine is better in the second stage than tramadol. Hence in developing nations where availability of facilities is the main limiting factor, intramuscular opioids can be considered suitable alternatives.     

Intravenous Paracetamol Infusion Versus Intramuscular Tramadol as an Intrapartum Labor Analgesic

Objectives

To compare intravenous paracetamol and intramuscular tramadol as labor analgesics.

Methods

This prospective-randomized study conducted in 200 primigravidae in active labor, distributed into two groups of 100 women each with one receiving intravenous 1,000 mg Paracetamol and other 100 mg intramuscular tramadol. Pain intensity is recorded by McGills scale before, one and 3 h after drug administration. Perinatal outcome is recorded.

Results

No difference in pain intensity is seen before drug administration. After 1 h of drug administration, in paracetamol group, 4 % women had horrible pain, and 29 % had distressing pain, while in tramadol group, 30 % women had horrible pain, and 60 % had distressing pain. After 3 h of drug administration, in paracetamol group, 26 % had distressing pain, while in tramadol group, 51 % women had horrible pain, and 35 % had distressing pain. Labor duration in paracetamol and tramadol group was 4.3 and 5.9 h, respectively. In paracetamol group, nausea is seen in 2.2 % and vomiting in 1.1 %, while in tramadol group, nausea is seen in 6.4 % and vomiting in 4.3 %.

Conclusions

Intravenous paracetamol is more effective labor analgesic with fewer maternal adverse effects and shortens labor as compared to intramuscular tramadol.

     

Double-blind comparison of meptazinol and pethidine in labour

Summary. The analgesic efficacy and safety of intramuscular meptazinol and pethidine in the first stage of labour were compared in a randomized double-blind trial in 358 patients. Pain relief was measured on a verbal rating scale, maternal side effects were recorded and neonatal outcome assessed in the first 24 h. Pain relief during the first hour after injection was significantly greater in the meptazinol than in the pethidine group at 45 and 60 min. Thereafter, there was no difference between the treatments, and the duration of action was approximately the same. Twenty-eight per cent of patients experienced side effects after meptazinol compared with 35% after pethidine. The commonest were nausea and vomiting with a similar incidence in both groups. Most of the neonatal observations revealed no difference between the two drugs, but significantly more babies whose mothers had received meptazinol had an Apgar score of 8 at 1 min after birth.     

A comparative study of intramuscular ketorolac and pethidine in labour pain.

A single dose block randomised double-blind study comparing intramuscular ketorolac, 50 mg of pethidine and 100 mg pethidine was carried out in multiparous women. Pain intensity and sedation effect were recorded at inclusion to the study, half hourly for the first 2 h, then hourly until 6 h after delivery. Maternal and neonatal side effects were noted including the Apgar scores and the baby's requirements for resuscitation. All three treatments are relatively ineffective in relieving labour pain. There was no difference in the analgesic efficacy between the two doses of pethidine but both doses of pethidine were statistically more effective compared with ketorolac. There was no difference in the retrospective assessment of the three groups or when comparison was made with the previous labour. A similar number of patients required further analgesia in each group. In all three groups, no adverse effect occurred in the mother or fetus. Maternal sedation and fetal depression were statistically less in the ketorolac group. Although ketorolac had inferior analgesic effect, its use was not associated with clinically significant sequelae and it showed a superior safety profile compared with either dose of pethidine. The study was not powerful enough to detect a difference between 50 mg and 100 mg of pethidine.     

Some effects of maternal pethidine administration on the newborn

Summary. The effects of maternal pethidine administration (100 mg itramuscularly) were investigated in 150 infants at 1–2 h after birth, 95 infants whose mothers had not received pethidine served as a control group. Pethidine administration showed no effect on pH or Pco₂ of cord blood and neonatal arterial blood at 1–2 h after birth if the time interval between pethidine administration and delivery was ≤1 h. However, when the interval was >1 h: umbilical vein blood P _CO2 was higher; neonatal arterial blood P _CO2 was higher; neonatal baseline heart rate was higher, although long-term variability was similar; the percentage time spent crying was considerably reduced compared with the corresponding values in the control group. The long-term effects of pethidine are unknown but the adverse neonatal factors particularly if the time interval between administration of the drug and delivery is >1 h should be kept in mind.     

Atosiban and nifedipin for the treatment of preterm labor.

OBJECTIVE: To perform a comparison between atosiban (oxytocin antagonist) and nifedipin (calcium channel blocker) for acute treatment of preterm labor and their maternal safety. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial study was performed on 80 pregnant women with preterm labor, between 26 and 34 weeks of pregnancy, in Akbar Abadi Teaching Hospital in Tehran, Iran. 40 women (the atosiban group) were compared with another 40 women (the nifedipin group) for the drugs' efficacy in delaying delivery for more than 48 h in order to undergo steroid therapy, and for more than 7 days or more, and also to assess their maternal safety. The duration between the drugs' administration and delivery were compared. The statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in the treatment of preterm labor. Atosiban was effective in 82.5% of cases, and nifedipin in 75% of the cases (p=1.000), for delaying delivery for 48 h. Atosiban was effective in 75% of the cases, and nifedipin in 65% of the cases, for delaying delivery for more than 7 days. The maternal side effects in the atosiban group were 17.5%, and in the nifedipin group they were 40%, which had a statistically significant difference (p=0.027). The duration between treatment and delivery was 29.03+/-16.12 days in the atosiban group and 22.85+/-13.9 days in the nifedipin group with no statistically significant difference (p=0.79). CONCLUSION: Atosiban is an effective and safe drug for the acute treatment of preterm labor with minimal side effects, and it can be an option in the treatment of preterm labor, especially in patients with heart disease and multi-fetal pregnancies.     

Intravenous pethidine and nalbuphine during labor: a prospective double-blind comparative study.

The perfect analgesic regimen is constantly sought, no matter how labor is conducted. The quest for an effective drug that will afford maximum relaxation and pain relief with minimum interruption of any natural homeostatic mechanism is a foremost subject in present obstetric analgesics research. Synthetic alternatives are being offered, promising perfect compatibility with the clinician's demands. Nalbuphine, a semisynthetic narcotic agonist-antagonist analgesic of the penanthren series, is supposed not to be liable to cause respiratory depression and is expected to have fewer side effects. A double-blind, randomised prospective study of 137 patients who received 10 mg nalbuphine or 50 mg pethidine i.v. during the active phase of labor in term was carried out. Maternal cardiovascular variables, pain intensity, progress of labor and fetal heart rate during labor were related to side effect and neonatal outcome (1- and 5-min Apgar scores and umbilical venous pH). Neither regimen showed an advantage over the other. Data analysis points to a possible transient depressive effect induced by nalbuphine on the fetal or neonatal central nervous system.     

针药结合分娩镇痛的临床研究

目的　应用韩氏神经电刺激镇痛仪 (HANS) ,配伍用地西泮、曲马多 ,观察对分娩疼痛的镇痛效果和对母婴的影响。　方法　 2 70例足月、单胎、正常初产妇在宫口开大 2～ 3cm时 ,随机分为 6组 ,即 HANS+地西泮 (10 m g iv)、HANS、地西泮 (10 mg iv)、HANS+曲马多 (10 0 mg im)、曲马多 (10 0 mg im)和对照组。采用 VAS疼痛评分方法分别在镇痛前后不同阶段评分。　结果　 HANS+地西泮组镇痛有效率最高为 90 .3% ,其次 ,HANS+曲马多 78.9% ,HANS组 5 9.8%。针药复合组在镇痛后 1h、第一产程末期及第二产程时 VAS评分均较镇痛前明显降低 (P<0 .0 1)。与对照组各期相比 ,有非常显著的统计学差异。反映产程生理和胎婴儿状态的指标差异无显著性。　结论　应用电刺激镇痛仪加少量镇静镇痛药物 (地西泮或曲马多 ) ,有良好的镇痛效果 ,对母婴无不良影响 ,方法简便、经济 ,适于推广。     

Intramuscular opioids for maternal pain relief in labour: a randomised controlled trial comparing pethidine with diamorphine.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the pain relief and side effects of intramuscular pethidine with intramuscular diamorphine in labour. DESIGN: Double-blind randomised controlled trial. SETTING: The labour ward in a UK teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-nine nulliparous women and 64 multiparous women in labour who requested narcotic analgesia and remained undelivered one hour after trial entry. METHODS: Nulliparous women were randomised to receive either 150 mg intramuscular pethidine or 7.5 mg intramuscular diamorphine. Multiparous women were randomised to receive either 100 mg intramuscular pethidine or 5 mg intramuscular diamorphine. All participants received the anti-emetic prochloroperazine at the same time as the trial drugs. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Maternal analgesia assessed by a visual analogue score and verbal scales of pain intensity and pain relief, maternal sedation and vomiting, neonatal outcome assessed by Apgar scores and the need for resuscitation. RESULTS: More women allocated to receiving pethidine than to diamorphine reported slight or no pain relief at 60 minutes after administration of these drugs (P = 0.03). This trend was repeated in most of the other measures for maternal analgesia. There was no difference in maternal sedation, but the incidence of vomiting within 60 minutes was lower for women who received diamorphine (P = 0.02). Pethidine was associated with lower Apgar scores at 1 minute (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Intramuscular diamorphine in labour appears to have some benefits, compared with intramuscular pethidine, but the trial was small and further research, particularly into alternative opioids and long term effects on the infants is still needed.     

Intramuscular pethidine (meperidine) during labor associated with metabolic acidosis in the newborn

Analyses of fetal heart rate (FHR) variability, visual evaluation of FHR decelerations, and respiratory gas analyses of the umbilical vein were performed in 27 labors, where one dose (50 or 75 mg) of intramuscular pethidine was used for pain relief, in 47 labors with one paracervical blockade (6 ml 0.5% marcaine) and in a control group of 135 labors without any pain relief. Umbilical vein pH, standard bicarbonate and base excess were lowest in the pethidine group and highest in the PCB group. The duration of labor was shortest in the control group, but there was no difference in the duration of labor of the two anesthesized groups. Intramuscular pethidine seems to associate with umbilical metabolic acidosis and PCB should be preferred to it, when an obstetrician is available.     

Intravenous infusion of paracetamol versus intravenous pethidine as an intrapartum analgesic in the first stage of labor

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects of an intravenous infusion of 1000 mg of paracetamol as compared with an intravenous injection of 50 mg of pethidine hydrochloride for intrapartum analgesia.MethodsIn a randomized prospective study at Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt, between April and August 2010, 102 low-risk primiparous women in active labor were allocated to received either paracetamol (n = 52) or pethidine hydrochloride (n = 50). The primary outcome was the efficacy of the drug to supply adequate analgesia as measured by a change in the visual analog scale (VAS) pain intensity score at various times after drug administration. The secondary outcomes included the need for additional rescue analgesia and the presence of adverse maternal or fetal events.ResultsAs recorded by the VAS score, there was significant pain reduction at 15 minutes, and at 1 and 2 hours in both groups (P < 0.001). The reduction in pain was significantly greater in the pethidine group only at 15 minutes (P = 0.004). None of the women in the paracetamol group had adverse effects, as compared with 64% of the women receiving pethidine.ConclusionThe effectiveness of intravenous paracetamol was comparable to that of intravenous pethidine, but paracetamol had fewer maternal adverse effects.     

A comparison of 100 microg oral misoprostol every 3 hours and 6 hours for labor induction: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of 100 microg oral misoprostol for induction of labor between the regimen of 3 hour and 6 hour interval administration. METHODS: Singleton pregnancies indicated for induction of labor between 34 and 42 weeks of gestation in the condition of unfavorable cervix (Bishop score < or = 4) and no contraindication for prostaglandins therapy were recruited into the study. All pregnant women were randomly assigned to receive 100 microg oral misoprostol every 3 hours or 6 hours until the cervix was favorable for amniotomy, spontaneous rupture of membranes or active labor occurred. RESULTS: The mean time interval from induction to vaginal delivery was significantly shorter in the 3 hour interval group, compared with the 6 hour interval group (13.82 +/- 6.98h and 17.66 +/- 7.48h, P = 0.0019). There was no significant difference between the groups with regard to mode of delivery, analgesic requirement, maternal complication and neonatal outcome. CONCLUSIONS: 100 microg oral misoprostol every 3 hours is more effective for labor induction than every 6 hours but there was no difference in mode of delivery, analgesic requirement, maternal complications and neonatal outcome. A dose of 100 microg misoprostol orally every 3 hours seems to be the optimum regimen and the new option for labor induction. However, further study should be performed.     

Double-blind, randomized, controlled trial of atosiban and ritodrine in the treatment of preterm labor: a multicenter effectiveness and safety study

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to compare the efficacy and safety of intravenous administration of atosiban versus ritodrine for the treatment of preterm labor.Study Design: Women with preterm labor and intact membranes diagnosed at 23 to 33 gestational weeks (n = 247) were randomly assigned to treatment arms and received atosiban (6.75 mg intravenous bolus, 300 microg/min for 3 hours, then 100 microg/min intravenously) or ritodrine (0.10-0.35 mg/min intravenously) for as long as 18 hours. Tocolytic effectiveness was assessed in terms of the numbers of women who had not been delivered after 48 hours and after 7 days. Safety was assessed in terms of maternal side effects and neonatal morbidity. Secondary outcomes included mean gestational age at delivery and mean birth weight. An intent-to-treat analysis was performed with the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test. RESULTS: The proportion of women who had not been delivered at 48 hours was 84.9% (n = 107) in the atosiban group and 86.8% (n = 105) in the ritodrine group. At 7 days 92 women had still not been delivered in both the atosiban (73.0%) and ritodrine (76.0%) groups. Neither of these differences was statistically significant. The incidence of maternal cardiovascular side effects was substantially lower in the atosiban group (4.0% vs 84.3%, P <.001). In addition, intravenous therapy was terminated more frequently as a result of maternal adverse events in the ritodrine group (29.8%) than in the atosiban group (0.8%). The overall occurrences of fetal adverse events in the two treatment groups were comparable. Neonatal morbidity was similar between the treatment groups after adjustment for unbalanced enrollment of women with multiple pregnancies and for gestational ages within treatment groups. CONCLUSION: Atosiban was comparable in clinical effectiveness to conventional ritodrine therapy but was better tolerated than ritodrine, with no evidence of significant maternal or fetal adverse events. Neonatal morbidity, which was similar between the two treatment arms, was apparently related to the gestational age of the infant rather than to the exposure to either tocolytic agent.     

Antenatal use of ambroxol for the prevention of infant respiratory distress syndrome

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ambroxol for the prenatal prophylaxis of infant respiratory distress syndrome (IRDS). STUDY DESIGN: This was a prospective study with 2 groups of pregnant patients with premature labor or with premature rupture of membranes at an estimated gestation between 27 to 34 completed weeks. Ambroxol treatment group consisted of 39 subjects in whom 1,000 mg of ambroxol diluted in 500 ml of 5% glucose solution was given intravenously for 4 hours once a day for 3 days, while the control group consisted of 41 subjects in whom ambroxol was not administered. Main measures included Apgar scores, clinical signs of one or more of the following: respiratory rate of > 60/min, intercostal retraction, alar flaring, expiratory grunting, cyanosis on room air and radiological evidence of IRDS. Chi-square test was used to determine the statistical significance of the results. RESULTS: Tolerable maternal side effects were noted. Profile of newborns delivered were similar in both groups. Incidence of IRDS was significantly less in the treatment group (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Antenatal administration of ambroxol resulted in a significant decrease in the incidence of IRDS as well as perinatal morbidity and mortality. Due to the efficacy and safety of this drug, it might be useful for the prevention of IRDS.     

Intramuscular opioids for maternal pain relief in labour: a randomised controlled trial comparing pethidine with diamorphine

Objective To compare the pain relief and side effects of intramuscular pethidine with intramuscular diamorphine in labour.
Design Double-blind randomised controlled trial.
Setting The labour ward in a UK teaching hospital.
Participants Sixty-nine nulliparous women and 64 multiparous women in labour who requested narcotic analgesia and remained undelivered one hour after trial entry.
Methods Nulliparous women were randomised to receive either 150 mg intramuscular pethidine or 7–5 mg intramuscular diamorphine. Multiparous women were randomised to receive either 100 mg intramuscular pethidine or 5 mg intramuscular diamorphine. All participants received the anti-emetic prochloroperazine at the same time as the trial drugs.
Main outcome measures Maternal analgesia assessed by a visual analogue score and verbal scales of pain intensity and pain relief, maternal sedation and vomiting, neonatal outcome assessed by Apgar scores and the need for resuscitation.
Results More women allocated to receiving pethidine than to diamorphine reported slight or no pain relief at 60 minutes after administration of these drugs (   P = 0.03  ). This trend was repeated in most of the other measures for maternal analgesia. There was no difference in maternal sedation, but the incidence of vomiting within 60 minutes was lower for women who received diamorphine (   P = 0.02  ). Pethidine was associated with lower Apgar scores at 1 minute (   P < 0.05  ).
Conclusion Intramuscular diamorphine in labour appears to have some benefits, compared with intramuscular pethidine, but the trial was small and further research, particularly into alternative opioids and long term effects on the infants is still needed.     

A comparison between epidural and IV tramadol for painless labor and effect on perinatal outcome

Objectives

To compare the efficacy of epidural and I/V Tramadol for painless labor and effect on perinatal outcome.

Material and methods

Atotal of 90 parturients admitted in S.N.Medical College, Agra were selected for study. Thirty parturients received intravenous tramadol, thirty received epidural tramadol and thirty were kept as controls by the method of randomization. In the intravenous group, tramadol in doses of 1mg/Kg body weight IV bolus and 100mg in 500ml Ringer lactate at the rate of 8–24 drops/min was given. In the epidural group tramadol 1mg/kg body weight with 8–10 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine was given.

Results

In the epidural group, pain relief was excellent in 36.67%, good in 50% and average in 13.33%. In intravenous group, pain relief was excellent in 10%, good in 26.67% and average in 63.33%. In both the groups there was no significant effect on duration of 1st & 3rd stage of labor. Second stage of labor was prolonged in the control group. There were no significant changes in APGAR scoring.

Conclusion

Epidural tramadol is a safe and effective method for labor pain relief better than I/V tramadol.     

Yoga during pregnancy: effects on maternal comfort, labor pain and birth outcomes

This study examined the effects of a yoga program during pregnancy, on maternal comfort, labor pain, and birth outcomes. A randomized trial was conducted using 74-primigravid Thai women who were equally divided into two groups (experimental and control). The yoga program involved six, 1-h sessions at prescribed weeks of gestation. A variety of instruments were used to assess maternal comfort, labor pain and birth outcomes. The experimental group was found to have higher levels of maternal comfort during labor and 2 h post-labor, and experienced less subject evaluated labor pain than the control group. In each group, pain increased and maternal comfort decreased as labor progressed. No differences were found, between the groups, regarding pethidine usage, labor augmentation or newborn Apgar scores at 1 and 5 min. The experimental group was found to have a shorter duration of the first stage of labor, as well as the total time of labor.     

A randomized comparative study of prophylactic oxytocin versus ergometrine in the third stage of labor.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of prophylactic use of oxytocin and ergometrine in management of the third stage of labor. METHODS: A prospective randomized study of 600 women assigned to receive either oxytocin or ergometrine in the third stage of labor. Outcome measures were the predelivery and 48-hour postdelivery hematocrit, duration of the third stage, specific side effects, and incidence of postpartum hemorrhage. Statistical analyses were done using the t test for continuous variables and chi2 test for categorical variables. The level of significance was set at P<0.05. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in maternal age, gestational age, duration of third stage, birth weights, risk for retained placenta, manual removal of placenta, or need for additional oxytocics. Patients in the ergometrine group were at significant risk for nausea, vomiting, headaches, and elevated blood pressure (P=0.0001). CONCLUSION: Oxytocin is as effective as ergometrine at reducing the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage, but without the undesirable side effects of nausea, vomiting, and elevated blood pressure associated with ergometrine.