EPIDURAL-ANESTHESIA IN LABOR - INFLUENCE ON SURGICAL DELIVERY RATES, INTRAPARTUM FEVER AND BLOOD-LOSS

We retrospectively analyzed 7,317 fully documented deliveries to asses s the effect of epidural anaesthesia (EA) on surgical delivery rates, on the incidence of intrapartum fever and on peripartal blood loss. 1, 056 (14.4%) had EA and 6,261 (85.6%) had no or other analgesia. The us e of EA was associated with a decreased spontaneous delivery rate (50. 0 vs. 79.2%), increased forceps delivery rate (30.7 vs. 4.0%) and incr eased vacuum extraction rate (3.5 vs. 0.7%). The caesarean section rat e was not significantly changed in patients with EA (14.4 vs. 13.0%). Fever greater than 38 degrees C during labour and intrapartum haemorrh age exceeding 500 ml were associated with the use of EA.