• Li-Zhong Wang, Xiao-Xia Hu, Xia Liu, Ping Qian, Jia-Mei Ge, and Bei-Lei Tang.
• Department of Anesthesiology, Jiaxing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Jiaxing, China. jxlzw@sina.com
• Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2011 Apr 1;113(1):40-3.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effects of epidural dexamethasone on maternal temperature and serum cytokine levels after labor epidural analgesia.MethodsSixty healthy term nulliparas in spontaneous labor were randomized to receive epidural analgesia alone using bupivacaine 0.125% and fentanyl 1 μg/mL (group I) or epidural analgesia combined with dexamethasone 0.2mg/mL (group II) (n=30 per group). Maternal tympanic temperature was measured before epidural analgesia and hourly thereafter until delivery. Maternal and cord venous blood were sampled for analysis of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-10 levels.ResultsThere was no difference in the incidence of intrapartum fever (38 °C or more) between the 2 groups (3/30 versus 1/30, P=0.612). The mean maternal temperature increased with time in group I, with the elevation reaching statistical significance at 4 hours post analgesia and at delivery compared with baseline (P=0.012 and P=0.043, respectively). A similar trend was observed with maternal serum IL-6 levels in group I. In group II, maternal temperature and IL-6 levels did not differ from baseline at any time point during labor.ConclusionEpidural dexamethasone alleviates maternal temperature elevation after epidural analgesia. This effect can be attributed to the decrease in IL-6 levels.Copyright © 2011 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

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