Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text

BackgroundTo compare the application and efficacy of ropivacaine combined with sufentanil for continuous epidural anesthesia (CEA) and combined spinal-epidural anesthesia (CSEA) in labor analgesia.MethodsThree hundred sixty pregnant women requesting labor analgesia from October 2017 to August 2018 were selected retrospectively. According to the anesthetic method, subjects were divided into CSEA group and CEA group. Ropivacaine combined with sufentanil were used in all subjects. The labor time, visual analogue scale (VAS), Apgar score of newborn, adverse pregnancy outcomes and adverse drug reactions were observed.ResultsThere was no significant difference in pre-analgesia (T0) VAS scores between the two groups (P > 0.05). VAS scores of first stage of labor (T1), second stage of labor (T2) and third stage of labor (T3) in CSEA group were significantly lower than CEA group (P < 0.01). The onset time, T1 and total labor time in CSEA group were significantly shorter than CEA group (P < 0.01). There were no significant differences between T2 and T3 (P > 0.05). There were no significant differences in adverse pregnancy outcomes and Apgar scores at 1, 5 and 10 min after birth between the two groups (P > 0.05). The incidence of adverse drug outcomes in CSEA group was significantly lower than CEA group (P < 0.01). Maternal satisfaction in CSEA group was significantly higher than CEA group (P < 0.01).ConclusionConsidering ropivacaine combined with sufentanil for CSEA achieved a shorter onset time and labor period, significant analgesic effect, lower adverse drug reactions rates and higher subject satisfaction than CEA, it may be worthy of clinical promotion and application.