Irish medical journal
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Irish medical journal · Jun 2014
Informed consent for epidural analgesia in labour: a survey of Irish practice.
Currently, we do not have a national standard regarding epidural consent in Ireland. The aim of this survey was to assess practice in obstetric units in Ireland with regard to obtaining informed consent prior to epidural insertion, and whether the risks discussed with women are being documented. A postal survey of anaesthetists in Irish obstetric units was performed in January 2012 to assess practice regarding obtaining informed consent prior to epidural insertion, and documentation of the risks discussed. ⋯ The most frequently quoted risks were headache--15/16 (93.8% of the respondents), partially/not working epidural--15/16 (93.8%), drop in blood pressure--14/16 (87.5%) and temporary backache/local tenderness--12/16 (75%). The more serious risks were not discussed as frequently: permanent nerve damage--8/16 (50%), paralysis--8/16 (50%), epidural abscess/haematoma--6/16 (37.5%), meningitis--3/16 (18.7%). The vast majority of respondents supported introduction of a national standardised information leaflet, detailing all the benefits and risks of epidural analgesia, to be shown to all women before consenting to epidural insertion.