A single dose of fentanyl and midazolam prior to Cesarean section have no adverse neonatal effects.

Purpose: Analgesia and sedation, routinely used as adjunct medications for regional anesthesia, are rarely used in the pregnant patient because of concerns about adverse neonatal effects. In an effort to obtain more information about maternal analgesia and sedation we studied neonatal and maternal effects of iv fentanyl and midazolam prior to spinal anesthesia for elective Cesarean section.

Methods: In this double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 60 healthy women received either a combination of 1 microg x kg(-1) fentanyl and 0.

Anesthesia for childbirth: controversy and change.

First introduced to medical practice in 1847, anesthesia for childbirth has undergone constant changes. Current practice reflects evolving social values as well as new discoveries in science and medicine.

The nature and management of labor pain: executive summary.

This report describes the background and process for a rigorous project to improve understanding of labor pain and its management, and summarizes the main results and their implications. Labor pain and methods to relieve it are major concerns of childbearing women, with considerable implications for the course, quality, outcome, and cost of intrapartum care. Although these issues affect many women and families and have major consequences for health care systems, both professional and public discourse reveal considerable uncertainty about many questions, including major areas of disagreement.

Baseline heart rate may predict hypotension after spinal anesthesia in prehydrated obstetrical patients.

Purpose: Hypotension is the most frequent complication of spinal anesthesia in pregnant patients. This study was designed to identify patients at risk for postspinal hypotension based on preoperative vital signs before and after an orthostatic challenge.

Methods: Forty healthy women scheduled for elective Cesarean section were enrolled in this prospective trial.