The Effects of Intermittent Epidural Bolus on Fever During Labor Analgesia

The Effects of Intermittent Epidural Bolus Versus Continuous Epidural Infusion on Fever for Labor Analgesia in Primiparous Women

Epidural analgesia is associated with maternal intra-partum fever during labor. Intermittent epidural injections appear to reduce the incidence of maternal intra-partum fever compared to continuous epidural infusion during labor analgesia. However, the optimal combination of bolus volume and administrating interval has not yet been compared. The purpose of this prospective, randomized, double-blind trial was to determine how intermittent epidural bolus reduced the incidence of maternal intra-partum fever compared with continuous epidural infusion during labor.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Nulliparous women
• Required labor analgesia
• Chinese
• Spontaneous labor

Exclusion Criteria:

• Contraindications for epidural analgesia
• Allergic to opioids and/or local anesthetics
• Failed to performing epidural catheterization
• Organic dysfunction
• Those who were not willing to or could not finish the whole study at any time
• Using or used in the past 14 days of the monoamine oxidase inhibitors
• Alcohol addictive or narcotic dependent patients
• Subjects with a nonvertex presentation or scheduled induction of labor
• Twin gestation and breech presentation