Original Articles
To study the effect of intravenous low-dose (4 mg) dexamethasone as an adjunct to epidural labour analgesia with 0.125% ropivacaine in parturients: Acase control study | |
Dr. Harshwardhan, Dr. Akhilesh Kumar Singh, Dr. Bijoy Kumar | |
Background: Dexamethasone, a pharmacological agent with anti-inflammatory properties, has analgesic effectiveness when used as a supplementary treatment. It functions as an analgesic by reducing inflammation and inhibiting the transmission of nociceptive C-fibres, as well as preventing abnormal nerve discharges.Aim: To study the effect of intravenous low-dose (4 mg) dexamethasone as a supplementary treatment for epidural labour analgesia with 0.125% ropivacaine in participants.Material and methods: This study includes 100 patients that are divided into two groups of 50 each after obtaining written informed consent from each participant. Group D consisted of 50 individuals who were administered dexamethasone. Group C consisted of 50 patients who were assigned to the control group, where they got a placebo. This study included primigravida, singleton pregnant women who met the following criteria: they were at least 18 years old, weighed less than 100 kg, were taller than 150 cm, had intact or absent membranes, experienced satisfactory uterine contractions with more than 50% effacement, presented with vertex at term, and requested labour analgesia. Initial hemodynamic measures, such as heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), saturation (SpO2), and foetal heart rate (FHR), were documented.Results: The study shows that the total consumption of ropivacaine per hour was significantly different between the groups. Group D consumed 7.32 ± 1.45 mg/h, while Group C consumed 9.56 ± 1.12 mg/h, with a p-value of less than 0.001. This statistically significant difference indicates that Group D, which likely received an adjunct treatment (such as dexamethasone), required less ropivacaine for pain management compared to Group C. The maternal hemodynamic parameters, including heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP), as well as foetal heart rate (FHR), were monitored at various intervals. The data shows no significant differences between Group D and Group C at any of the time points, with all p-values greater than 0.05. There were no significant differences between the groups for any of these adverse effects, with all p-values greater than 0.05.Conclusion: Adding dexamethasone to ropivacaine in labour analgesia resulted in several benefits. It decreased the amount of ropivacaine used, led to quicker pain relief, improved pain management, and increased satisfaction among mothers. |
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