Comparison of epidural fentanyl versus epidural sufentanil for analgesia in ambulatory patients in early labor

Epidural sufentanil, after a lidocaine and epinephrine test dose, provides adequate analgesia and allows for ambulation during early labor. Epidural f entanyl has not been evaluated in this setting. The current study was desig ned to determine whether there is an analgesic difference between epidural fentanyl and epidural sufentanil in laboring patients. Forty-six laboring n ulliparous women, at <5-cm cervical dilation, who requested epidural analge sia were enrolled. After a 3-mL test dose of lidocaine with epinephrine, pa tients were randomized to receive either sufentanil 20 mu g or fentanyl 100 mu g. After administration of the analgesic, pain scores and side effects were recorded for each patient at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 min and every 30 mi n thereafter, by an observer blinded to the technique used. There were no d emographic differences between the two groups. Pain relief was rapid for al l patients. The mean durations of analgesia were similar between the sufent anil group (138 +/- 50 min) and the fentanyl group (124 +/- 42 min). Side e ffects were similar between the two groups. In early laboring patients, epi dural fentanyl 100 mu g, after a lidocaine and epinephrine test dose, provi des analgesia comparable to that of sufentanil 20 mu g.