Spinal clonidine prolongs labor analgesia from spinal sufentanil and bupivacaine

We sought to determine whether spinal clonidine 50 mu g prolongs the analge sia from the spinal administration of sufentanil 7.5 mu g and bupivacaine 2 .5 mg early in the first stage of labor. Thirty patients were randomized to receive a 2-mL spinal injection of sufentanil 7.5 mu g + bupivacaine 2.5 m g with or without clonidine 50 mu g using a combined spinal-epidural (CSE) technique. Pain, nausea, pruritus, sedation, motor block, blood pressure, a nd heart rate were assessed until the patient requested additional analgesi a. Analgesia was significantly prolonged in patients who received spinal su fentanil + bupivacaine + clonidine (197 +/- 70 vs 132 +/- 39 min; P = 0.004 ). Pain scores and side effects, including motor block, sedation, and hypot ension, were similar between groups. Spinal clonidine significantly prolong s labor analgesia from spinal sufentanil and bupivacaine without producing serious adverse side effects. Implications: We studied the effects of spina l clonidine administered with spinal sufentanil and bupivacaine on labor an algesia using a combined spinal-epidural technique and conclude that spinal clonidine significantly prolongs labor analgesia from spinal sufentanil an d bupivacaine without producing serious adverse effects.