Self-administered versus nurse-administered epidural analgesia after cesarean section.

Objective: To compare two methods of administering analgesia by the epidural route after cesarean sections.

Design: Quasi-experimental.

Setting: The postpartum area of a large community hospital.

Participants: Fifty women undergoing planned cesarean sections with epidural anesthesia.

Interventions: The control group received continuous epidural analgesia with nurse-administered boluses and the experimental group with self-administered boluses.

Main Outcome Measures: Pain control, side effects from medication, amount of medication required, postoperative activity levels, and patient satisfaction.

Results: Subjects receiving continuous epidural analgesia with self-administered boluses of analgesic used significantly less fentanyl and fewer supplemental intravenous pain medications than subjects receiving continuous epidural analgesia with nurse-administered boluses of analgesic.

Conclusions: Subjects in self-administered group required less pain medication than subjects in nurse-administered group.