International journal of obstetric anesthesia
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Int J Obstet Anesth · Dec 2016
Meta AnalysisClinical effectiveness of transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks for pain relief after caesarean section: a meta-analysis.
The effectiveness of transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks for acute pain relief after caesarean section, in comparison to normal practice, remains uncertain. ⋯ TAP blocks provide effective analgesia after caesarean section; however, additional benefits are more difficult to demonstrate when long-acting intrathecal opioids are administered.
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Int J Obstet Anesth · Dec 2016
Observational StudySevere maternal morbidity in a general intensive care unit in Nigeria: clinical profiles and outcomes.
Data on outcomes of obstetric admissions to intensive care units can serve as useful markers for assessing the quality of maternal care. We evaluated the intensive care unit utilization rate, diagnoses, case-fatality rate, mortality rate and associated factors among obstetric patients. ⋯ Direct obstetric morbidities constituted the leading reasons for obstetric admissions to the intensive care unit, with sepsis accounting for the highest case-fatality rate. Abdominal delivery and/or peripartum hysterectomy increased risk of death among obstetric admissions.
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Int J Obstet Anesth · Dec 2016
Nine-year audit of post-dural puncture headache in a tertiary obstetric hospital in Singapore.
The KK Women's and Children's Hospital is a tertiary obstetric unit with approximately 11000 deliveries per year. Epidural analgesia is used in about 40% of laboring women. We reviewed the incidence and management of post-dural puncture headache over a nine-year period. ⋯ A retrospective audit over a nine-year period at a tertiary teaching hospital found the overall incidence of post-dural puncture headache and associated events to be 0.15%, with a decreasing trend coinciding with improvement in the teaching and supervision of trainees in labor epidural procedures.
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Int J Obstet Anesth · Dec 2016
Determination of ED50 of hydromorphone for postoperative analgesia following cesarean delivery.
Morphine is the most common opioid injected into the intrathecal space for postoperative analgesia following cesarean delivery, but ongoing medication shortages have resulted in limited availability. One proposed morphine alternative is hydromorphone. Studies investigating its use in post-cesarean analgesia are limited. This study was conducted to determine the median effective dose of intrathecal hydromorphone 12h postpartum. ⋯ Intrathecal hydromorphone may be an effective alternative to morphine for post-cesarean pain management. The amount of intrathecal hydromorphone necessary to provide analgesia at 12h postoperatively may be significantly lower than doses currently in use. Further research should be performed to identify the optimal dose of intrathecal hydromorphone for post-surgical pain relief.