M.Cur. / Epidural anaesthesia as a method of pain relief during labour has lately become very popular. statistics show that in some labour units up to 70 percent of all patients undergo epidural anaesthesia. The popularity of this method can be attributed to its effectiveness in relieving pain during labour. The anaesthetist commences an epidural block by introducing an epidural catheter into the epidural space. The anaesthetist administers the test dose and the first therapeutic dose. Within a short duration of time (10 to 20 minutes) the patient can already experience the numbing effect of the anaesthetic. This anaesthetic loses its numbing effect within two to three hours and effective pain relief can only be achieved by administering a further dose of local anaesthetic via the epidural catheter. This procedure can be repeated between three to six times during the average duration of labour. Alternatively a continuous epidural infusion procedure can be used. This last method however sometimes requires the administration of additional epidural "top-ups". If the additional "top-ups" are not administered timeously the patient can experience pain and discomfort. These delays in administering the anaesthetic often occur as a result of the anaesthetist being involved in the treatment of other patients - this often occurs in bigger labour wards where epidural anaesthesia is used during labour and caesarian sections by various patients. The active involvement of the midwife in these administrations can prevent the delays that often occur.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:13344 |
| Date | 16 February 2015 |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | University of Johannesburg |
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