Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica. Supplement
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Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand Suppl · Jan 1975
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialThe shape of the amniotic pressure curve before and after paracervical block during labour.
Paracervical block (PCB) given during labour reduces the uterine activity necessary for cervical dilatation. The aim of the present investigation was to find out whether this effect of PCB changes the form of the amniotic pressure curve. A preliminary investigation showed that the ascending limb of the amniotic pressure curve, A, consists of three phases. ⋯ The changes typical of PCB did not occur after epidural block. The discovery of the six phases of the amniotic pressure curve, their change after PCB and the results of other investigators make possible a suggestion of the basic physiological processes that influence amniotic pressure during coordinated labour contractions. It is held that the form of the amniotic pressure curve can be explained in terms of contraction, relaxation, and propagation of a contraction and a relaxation wave.