Uses Of Intrathecal Opioids In Opsteric Analgesia:

Hazem Mohamed Swelem

Sail: and paiufrcc child birth should be the 11111 or theanesthesists and obstetricians. Labour pam increass maternalplasma catecholamine concentration. The raised ca echolaminelevels have been implicated in causing reduced uterine olood flow,dysfunctional labour and fetal heart rate abnormalities (cascio, etal., 1997). The ideal procedure to relieve pain should be safe formother and child being non toxic and non depressant t( the uterinecontraction which causes prolonged labour. It should (’ so produce.efficient relief of pain without effecting patient’s co isciousnessClod co-operations. Intrathecal opioids have become a popularmethod of providing analgesia to laboring patients. (N rris MC,etal., 1996). Initiation of epidural analgesia is often d. layed untillabour is well advanced for fear that the motor block andconcomitant bedrest may slow or arrest the labour patn on. (StevenM., et al., 1998). The use of intrathecal opioids is an 01 ernative toepidural local anesthetics tor the relief of labour pai . It may havecertain advantages over epidural local anestheti s incloudingabsence of motor blockade, witch may occur with epidural localanesthetics even with the reduced concentrations the are currentlyused, and more rapid onset of analgesia than pidural localanesthetic (Mandell GI, et al., 1996) . The ability 0 bring aboutrapid relief of pain without an apparent effect on lal or pattern andrare motor blockade has led many obstetricians (’ id patients torequest spinal opioids (Herman, et al., 1997).