Introduction:

Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) allows patients to accommodate analgesia according to increasing pain needs as labor progresses. This study aims to objectify the impact on pain relief and maternal satisfaction in labor patients with PCA analgesia.

Patients and methods:

A prospective descriptive study was carried out in the second semester of 2020. Pregnant women with a singleton pregnancy with a numerical rating scale (NRS) greater than three were included, and patients with contraindications for catheter insertion were excluded. After insertion, pain was assessed, and a questionnaire was given to rate pain at 15 min and during expulsion.

Results:

The population consisted of young women, 72 % of whom were pregnant at term. The epidural catheter was inserted in the latent phase of labor in 53.4 % of cases. At the time of catheter insertion, the median pain was 8 (6-10), at 15 minutes 2 (0-4), and expulsion 5 (3-8). Seventy-five percent of the mothers reported being very satisfied and 19 % satisfied; 3 % reported being slightly satisfied, and the remaining 1 % dissatisfied. The prevalence of nausea and vomiting was 16 % and 15 %, respectively.

Conclusions:

PCA as an analgesic strategy during labor through intermittent boluses on-demand achieved adequate pain control in the first minutes after insertion without optimal control during expulsion. However, high overall maternal satisfaction was obtained.

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