Abstract

GUASCH, E.; ORTEGA, R.  and  GILSANZ, F.. Epidural analgesia for labour in obese patients. Rev. Soc. Esp. Dolor [online]. 2006, vol.13, n.7, pp.468-474. ISSN 1134-8046.

Obesity is an increasing global health problem in Developer countries. As its incidence is grater in women than men, obstetric anesthesiologists wil be envolved in the care of the obese patient more often. Our aim is to study punction dificulties in obese parturients requiring epidural analgesia for labor, and to compare punction complications between obese and non obese parturients as analgesic efficacy between obese and non obese patients in a retrospective observational study among all the epidural analgesic blocks performed in a universitary hospital in a four years period. We studied 13616 patients, who were classified according to body mass index in Kg/m² (BMI). In the non obese group patients (BMI<30); first attempt epidural success was achieved in 76,5%. Mild obese patients (BMI 30-32), severe obese (BMI 33-39) and morbid obese (BMI≥40), the percents were 69, 3%, 63,2% y 47,4% respectively. The comparison among obese and non obese patients was significati-vely different (p<0,001). Punction complications did not show differences among groups (obese vs non obese). We recommend a prompt epidural catheter insertion in obese parturients. In future, we must prefectly know these patients particularities, and performing a correct and accurate evaluation in a multidisciplinary team.

Keywords : Obesity; epidural; obstetric analgesia.

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