Non-neuraxial labour analgesia.

Epidural analgesia is considered the gold standard for labour pain but may not be an option for all parturients due to patient choice or medical contraindication. Non-neuraxial alternatives for labour analgesia have been extensively studied and include both pharmacological and non-pharmacological options. Pharmacological options include the use of opioids and inhalational agents while non-pharmacological options range from non-invasive methods such as continuous labour support to techniques such as sterile water injection.

Investigating the association between labor pain and cessation of breastfeeding.

Mothers encounter several challenges to sustain breastfeeding until the recommended 6 months of age. There is limited evidence on the impact of women's labor pain experiences upon cessation of breastfeeding. We aimed to investigate the association between women's labor pain experiences, intrapartum interventions, and pre-birth psychological vulnerabilities and cessation of breastfeeding.

Ethical Principles of Clinical and Translational Research.

There are potential ethical pitfalls when performing clinical and translational research. The growing emphasis on evidence-based medicine and an understanding of basic ethical principles demands attention from the clinician scientist. Underlying principles such as respect for autonomy and considering the risk-benefit profile for each participant should remain the foundation when considering ethical issues in clinical research.

The correlation between quality of recovery and parturient outcomes after Cesarean delivery: a cohort study.

Purpose: Recent studies have reported the use of the obstetric-specific quality of recovery tool (ObsQoR-10) to assess the quality of recovery in parturients after childbirth; however, the correlation between ObsQoR-10 scores and important postpartum outcomes are unclear. The primary aim of the present study was to investigate the correlations between ObsQoR-10 scores at 24 hr after Cesarean delivery and breastfeeding, depressive symptomatology, overall health, and pain at seven days postpartum.

Methods: We recruited parturients who underwent elective Cesarean delivery at KK Hospital in Singapore.

Getting it right with discrete choice experiments: Are we hot or cold?

Discrete Choice Experiments (DCEs) are widely employed survey-based methods to assess preferences for healthcare services and products. While they offer an experimental way to represent health-related decisions, the stylized representation of scenarios in DCEs may overlook contextual factors that could influence decision-making. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the predictive validity of preferences elicited through a DCE in decisions likely influenced by a hot-cold empathy gap, and compare it to another commonly used method, a direct-elicitation question.

Sub-acute pain after childbirth during COVID-19 pandemic: A secondary analysis of A prospective clinical trial.

Background: COVID-19 pandemic could bring great impact upon the psychological statuses of post-partum women, but no clear evidence was provided yet as to COVID-19 would also affect their pain profile during post-partum period. We determined if pain and psychological vulnerabilities, obstetric factors, and labor analgesia were associated with sub-acute pain after childbirth (SAPC; ongoing pain related to delivery at post-partum 4 weeks or more) during COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We included women having a singleton pregnancy of ≥36 gestational weeks.

Factors associated with an inadvertent dural puncture or post-dural puncture headache following labour epidural analgesia: A retrospective cohort study.

Inadvertent dural puncture and post-dural puncture headache are complications of labour epidural analgesia and may result in acute and chronic morbidity. Identification of risk factors may enable pre-emptive management and reduce associated morbidity. In this retrospective cohort study, we aimed to identify factors associated with an inadvertent dural puncture or post-dural puncture headache by identifying parturients who received labour epidural analgesia from January 2017 to December 2021.

Investigating Factors Associated with the Development of Postnatal Depression After Cesarean Delivery: A Validation Cohort Study.

Purpose: This study aimed to validate a proposed association model previously published to determine the clinical relevance of pre-operative determinants in the development of PND after Cesarean delivery (CD).

Patients And Methods: Parturients undergoing elective CD under neuraxial anesthesia were recruited for a prospective cohort study between Oct 2021 and Oct 2022 at KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore. Predelivery pain, psychological and mechanical temporal summation, and demographic data were recorded.

Evaluating simulator sickness and acceptability of virtual reality prototype in pain management in hospitalized patients.

Acute and chronic noncancer pain is a common healthcare problem locally and globally, and remains under treated and poorly controlled. We created a virtual reality (VR)-based prototype with customization of content to our local population. This was an open-label, single center, single-arm study to examine the safety, acceptability and tolerability of the use of VR as an adjunctive tool for pain relief in hospitalized patients.

Perceptions and Attitudes of Patients and Health Care Stakeholders on Implementing a Telehealth Service for Preoperative Evaluation: A Qualitative Analysis.

Background: Studies suggest that preoperative evaluation can be effectively conducted through telehealth. As the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated digital transformation, we hypothesize that a new telehealth model of care may be feasibly implemented for preoperative evaluation at our institution. This qualitative study seeks to evaluate the attitudes and perception of elective surgery patients and health care providers toward telehealth conducted for preanesthesia evaluation.

Investigating the association factors of acute postpartum pain: a cohort study.

Background: Labor pain intensity is known to predict persistent postpartum pain, whereas acute postpartum pain may interfere with maternal postpartum physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Nevertheless, there is little research studying the association between labor pain intensity and acute postpartum pain. This study investigated the associations between labor pain intensity and psychological factors with acute postpartum pain.

Association between maternal labour epidural analgesia and autistic traits in offspring.

Study Objective: Studies investigating associations between maternal epidural analgesia (MEA) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the offspring are conflicting and lack prospective neurobehavioral follow-up assessments for autistic traits. We aim to prospectively investigate associations between MEA and autistic traits in the offspring.

Design: Prospective neurobehavioral observational cohort study.

Automated mandatory bolus versus basal infusion for maintenance of epidural analgesia in labour.

Background: Epidural analgesia is often used for pain relief during labour and childbirth, and involves administration of local anaesthetics (LA) into the epidural space resulting in sensory blockade of the abdomen, pelvis, and perineum. Epidural opioids are often co-administered to improve analgesia. Administration of epidural medications can be accomplished by basal infusion (BI) or automated mandatory bolus (AMB).

Effect of music listening on perioperative anxiety, acute pain and pain catastrophizing in women undergoing elective cesarean delivery: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Anxiety may adversely impact mother and her newborn. Music listening is a safe and efficacious treatment that may to reduce perioperative anxiety. The effect on acute pain and pain catastrophizing scores remains unclear.

Evaluating an advanced double intravenous vasopressor automated system to treat hypotension during spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The optimal treatment of hypotension during spinal anaesthesia is uncertain. A novel double intravenous vasopressor automated (DIVA) system reduces hypotension compared to standard care, and was subsequently modified to an advanced-DIVA (ADIVA) system. The primary objective was to compare ADIVA versus DIVA on incidence of hypotension (systolic BP (SBP) < 80% baseline).

Current state of reflective learning in anaesthesiology residents: a call for 'reflection-on-action' training in Singapore.

Introduction: Reflective learning is the cognitive process whereby information from new experiences is integrated into existing knowledge structures and mental models. In our complex healthcare system, reflective learning (specifically 'reflection on action') is important for postgraduate learners. We observed that our anaesthesiology residents were not building on their competence through deliberate experiential and reflective practice.

Factors associated with women's preferences for labor epidural analgesia in Singapore: a survey approach.

Epidural analgesia provides effective pain relief during labor. However, there is limited information on the factors associated with pregnant women's preferences for labor epidural analgesia (LEA) prior to labor onset. We performed a secondary analysis of a clinical trial to identify demographic characteristics, pain and psychological vulnerability factors associated with preferences for LEA.