A Prospective Observational Study of Maternal Oxygenation During Remifentanil Patient-controlled Analgesia Use in Labour

Abstract

(Anaesthesia 2016;71:171–176) Remifentanil patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) has been used for labor analgesia for many years at some institutions. However, its use has not gained widespread acceptance. Studies have shown high levels of maternal satisfaction with remifentanil PCA for labor, but safety concerns, especially the adverse effects of sedation and respiratory depression, seem to be contributing to the reluctance of many anesthesiologists to adopt this analgesic technique. The objective of this study was to evaluate maternal oxygen desaturation during remifentanil PCA for labor.