International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics : the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics
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Emergency obstetric care (EmOC), like any health intervention, requires resources, and resources are almost always limited. This forces decision makers to take into account the costs (and effectiveness) of EmOC provision and compare them with the costs (and effectiveness) of other health interventions. ⋯ A definition of EmOC provision cost is offered and then explained by progressively refining a simple measure of expenditures on all that is used to provide EmOC services. Thereupon the process of collecting cost data and calculating costs is outlined using a simple spreadsheet format, and issues related to the analysis of costs and cost-effectiveness are discussed.
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Int J Gynaecol Obstet · Feb 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialAmbulatory epidural anesthesia and the duration of labor.
Ambulatory epidural analgesia has become a common option for women in labor in France. We tested the hypothesis that a method of epidural analgesia that allowed women to walk had specific advantages regarding mode of delivery, consumption of local anesthetic, oxytocin requirement, and labor duration. ⋯ Walking with ambulatory labor analgesia shortens labor duration but has no other effect on the progress and outcome of labor.