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527 ANALGESIA IN OBSTETRICS By P. J. HELLrWELL, M.B., CH.B., D.A., and A. MICHAEI HUTTQN, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., D.A. Department of Anaesthetics, Guy's Hospital During the past few years the problem of the control of pain in obstetrics has received much attention from obstetricians, anaesthetists and general practitioners, and the methods employed have undergone a profound change. More elabor- ate methods have been made possible by the growing tendency for the mother to have her confinement in, an institution rather than at home and it is felt that as more beds become available this will occur more and more frequently. In spite of this, today, the majority of confinements still take place at home where the mother is attended by a domiciliary midwife acting alone; and for these patients also new methods have become available. It is now no longer considered satisfactory merely to give analgesic drugs when the labour pains are severe, as although there are now innumerable drugs available for this purpose most authorities realize that one of the most important factors contributing to a pain free labour lies in the mental attitude with which the mother approaches her confinement. This correct mental approach can only be obtained by careful educa- tion in the antenatal period and therefore the modern technique of treatment falls into two main divisions: (A) Antenatal instruction and explanation. (B) Methods employed during the labour itself. These methods can be grouped as follows: (a) Drug therapy by the oral, hypodermic, intravenous or rectal routes. (b) Inhalational agents employing an apparatus. (c) Local or regional analgesia. Normally a combination of two of these methods is used. Antenatal Instruction From the earliest days of the patient's antenatal supervision it is essential for the obstetrician or practitioner to explain to her the normal processes of pregnancy and labour. Under no circumstances must the mother be allowed to commence her labour in a state of terror arising from the fear of the unknown, or from the exaggerated stories of well-meaning but unwise friends and relations. The patient must be confident that she will receive help from her attendants whenever it is required and know that she will not suffer the agonies which a less fortunate woman tends to expect. Clinical experience has shown that better results may be expected from a willing and co-operative patient whatever type of analgesia is used, and towards the end of her antenatal period a decision should be made on broad lines as to what method of analgesia will be employed in her case. ;If any inhalational apparatus is to be used, at one of her final antenatal visits she should be shown the apparatus and given instruction in its use. In the case of gas and air Minnittl maintains that the patient must realize that the analgesic is self administered and that she will not become uncon- scious. In stressing the importance of this, Minnitt further considers that in his opinion one of the main causes of failure of gas and air analgesia from a self-administered machine is the inadequate education of the patient in its use. These remarks apply equally well to any other form of auto- inhalational apparatus. In the same way other authorities writing on caudal block have stated how important it is that the patient should be fully conversant with the implications of the method which is being employed. In an institution it is most desirable that both obstetrician and anaesthetist should work together as a team in this matter. Methods employed during Labour itself (a) DRUG THERAPY Before describing in detail the various analgesic drugs used it is necessary to consider the require- ments of an ideal analgesic, which are (a) It must (produce an immediate and satis- factory relief of pain, leaving the mother conscious and co-operative. (b) It must not depress the foetal respiratory centre, thereby increasing the incidence of asphyxia neonatorum. (c) It must not inhibit the uterine contractions or it will cause delay in labour and predispose to post-partum haemorrhage. copyright. on April 1, 2021 by guest. Protected by http://pmj.bmj.com/ Postgrad Med J: first published as 10.1136/pgmj.24.276.527 on 1 October 1948. Downloaded from

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  • 527

    ANALGESIA IN OBSTETRICSBy P. J. HELLrWELL, M.B., CH.B., D.A.,

    andA. MICHAEI HUTTQN, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., D.A.

    Department of Anaesthetics, Guy's Hospital

    During the past few years the problem of thecontrol of pain in obstetrics has received muchattention from obstetricians, anaesthetists andgeneral practitioners, and the methods employedhave undergone a profound change. More elabor-ate methods have been made possible by thegrowing tendency for the mother to have herconfinement in, an institution rather than at homeand it is felt that as more beds become availablethis will occur more and more frequently. Inspite of this, today, the majority of confinementsstill take place at home where the mother isattended by a domiciliary midwife acting alone;and for these patients also new methods havebecome available.

    It is now no longer considered satisfactorymerely to give analgesic drugs when the labourpains are severe, as although there are nowinnumerable drugs available for this purpose mostauthorities realize that one of the most importantfactors contributing to a pain free labour lies inthe mental attitude with which the motherapproaches her confinement. This correct mentalapproach can only be obtained by careful educa-tion in the antenatal period and therefore themodern technique of treatment falls into twomain divisions:

    (A) Antenatal instruction and explanation.(B) Methods employed during the labour itself.These methods can be grouped as follows:(a) Drug therapy by the oral, hypodermic,

    intravenous or rectal routes.(b) Inhalational agents employing an apparatus.(c) Local or regional analgesia.Normally a combination of two of these methods

    is used.

    Antenatal InstructionFrom the earliest days of the patient's antenatal

    supervision it is essential for the obstetrician orpractitioner to explain to her the normal processesof pregnancy and labour. Under no circumstancesmust the mother be allowed to commence herlabour in a state of terror arising from the fear ofthe unknown, or from the exaggerated stories ofwell-meaning but unwise friends and relations.

    The patient must be confident that she will receivehelp from her attendants whenever it is requiredand know that she will not suffer the agonies whicha less fortunate woman tends to expect. Clinicalexperience has shown that better results may beexpected from a willing and co-operative patientwhatever type of analgesia is used, and towardsthe end of her antenatal period a decision shouldbe made on broad lines as to what method ofanalgesia will be employed in her case. ;If anyinhalational apparatus is to be used, at one of herfinal antenatal visits she should be shown theapparatus and given instruction in its use. In thecase of gas and air Minnittl maintains that thepatient must realize that the analgesic is selfadministered and that she will not become uncon-scious.

    In stressing the importance of this, Minnittfurther considers that in his opinion one of themain causes of failure of gas and air analgesia froma self-administered machine is the inadequateeducation of the patient in its use. These remarksapply equally well to any other form of auto-inhalational apparatus. In the same way otherauthorities writing on caudal block have statedhow important it is that the patient should befully conversant with the implications of themethod which is being employed.

    In an institution it is most desirable that bothobstetrician and anaesthetist should work togetheras a team in this matter.

    Methods employed during Labour itself(a) DRUG THERAPY

    Before describing in detail the various analgesicdrugs used it is necessary to consider the require-ments of an ideal analgesic, which are

    (a) It must (produce an immediate and satis-factory relief of pain, leaving the motherconscious and co-operative.

    (b) It must not depress the foetal respiratorycentre, thereby increasing the incidence ofasphyxia neonatorum.

    (c) It must not inhibit the uterine contractionsor it will cause delay in labour and predisposeto post-partum haemorrhage.

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  • 528 POST GRADUATE MEDICAL JOURNAL October I948

    (d) The drug must be non-toxic and safe forboth the mother and the child.

    It has often been stated that there is no idealsingle analgesic drug, and although it is possibleto conduct the whole labour using only one or onegroup of non-volatile narcotics, better results aregenerally obtained by restricting their use to theearly Ist stage, and following on with eitherinhalational or local analgesics. This combinationhas a synergistic effect and therefore an increasedefficiency.By this means undue depression of the infant's

    respiratory centres at birth and excessive sleepinessand unco-operation on the part of the mothergiving rise to delay in the 2nd stage is more likelyto be avoided as the inhalational analgesics aremore controllable and more rapidly excreted thanthe drugs given by other routes.

    Simple sedativesDuring the early part of the first stage these are

    usually all that are required and in this country amixture which has attained almost universal popu-larity is one of potassium bromide 20-30 gr. andchloral hydrate 15-20 gr. Tincture of opium10-I5 minims is frequently added if a more potenteffect is required. The mixture should be welldiluted with water to prevent nausea and may berepeated in four hours if necessary. To avoid thisnausea the mixture may be administered perrectum as described by Marston2. The CentralMidwives Board allow these drugs to be usedby midwives acting alone.' This type ofsedation enables the patient to sleep between herpains, and frequently tides her over until thecommencement of inhalational analgesia at a laterperiod.

    The Opium alkaloidsMorphia, omnopon and heroin have all been

    used because of their potent analgesic properties,in doses of morphine J-j grain, omnopon i-igrain, heroin 2- grain. They all possess the samedisadvantage in that they cause profound res-piratory depression particularly of the foetus andwill if used injudiciously increase the rate ofasphyxia neonatorum. This foetal depression ismaximal about 2 hours after hypodermic injectionand therefore they should never be administeredwithin three hours of the expected time of delivery.They are most useful however in the first stage oflabour but should not be repeated. The type ofcase in which they are most strongly indicated isthe exhausted patient whose labour is not pro-gressing and for whom a complete rest is essential.

    Hyoscine Hydrobromide (Scopolamtne)This drug has been used both alone and in

    combination with morphia, omnopon, nembutaland pethidine. If used alone in doses of -11grain its main virtue is the production of amnesia,occasionally however it does produce restlessness.In combination with morphia or omnopon itenjoyed a considerable vogue for the production of' Twilight Sleep.' According to Hewer3 thismethod has been abandoned almost entirely inthis country because of frequent failure of anal-gesia, prolonged labours, occasional violent excite-ment and narcotized babies.

    Pethidine (Dolantin, Germany. Demerol, U.S.A.)This is undoubtedly the most important

    addition to the range of non-volatile drugs madeavailable in recent years, as it is an excellentanalgesic, has few toxic effects and has no delayingaction on labour. It is the hydrochloride of theethyl ester of i-methyl-4-phenyl-piperidine-4-carboxylic acid and was first described by Eisleband Schaumann in 19394.

    In addition to possessing an analgesic potencymidway between morphine and codeine it has ananti-spasmodic action due to depression of theparasympathetic nerve endings similar to atropine.This latter property is of value in accelerating thedilatation of the cervix. Toxic effects are slight,notably vertigo and nausea but some cases of drugaddiction have been reported. From an analysisof 500 cases Barnes5 considered that the drugproduces a high degree of analgesia, has little orno amnesic effect, but may contribute to respira-tory depression in the foetus in a few cases.DOSAGE-The usual initial dose is 1OO mgm. by

    intramuscular injection when labour is well estab-lished, the effect is rapid. usually taking place afterabout 15 minutes. This dose may be repeated athourly intervals if necessary but 400 mgm. isusually stated to be the maximum required dose,it may be administered by mouth but its effect isless certain. More recently it has been shown thata dose of i50 mgm. intramuscularly gives relieffrom pain without any respiratory depression inthe infant, but any increase in this dose tends tocause such depression. Pethidine is excellentwhen used before an inhalational technique withwhich it can be conveniently combined.

    The BarbituratesAlmost all the derivatives of barbituric acid

    have been tried in labour but in this country theyhave never achieved any universal popularity asthey do not in any way fulfil the requirements ofthe ideal analgesic already described. Nembutalis the most commonly used the initial dose being3 gr. by mouth with additional doses of 4I gr.every 3-4 hours to a maximum of 71-9 gr. in IZhours. It has been combined both with chloral

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  • October 1948 HELLIWELL and HUTTON: Analgesia in Obstetrics 529

    jiydrate 20 gr. and with scopolamine T1, _( gr.but has the disadvantage of producing respiratorydepression and occasionally restlessness withoutany high degree of analgesia or amnesia. Pentothalsodium and pentothal acid have also been used ina similar manner by mouth.

    Drugs given by the rectal routeThe technique of the administration of drugs by

    this route is the same in principle for them all.For the best results to be.obtained the lower bowelshould be emptied by an enema given at the onsetof labour, or failing this the cleansing enema mustbe given at least one hour before the drug itself isadministered. To introduce the drug a rubbercatheter is inserted into the rectum between pains,and the tip of it guided above the presenting partby means of a finger inside the rectum. The fluiditself should be introduced in a pain free intervaland if a pain occurs during the injection thebuttocks are compressed together until it is over.

    (a) ParaldehydeThe main advantages of this drug are its stability

    and the fact that in therapeutic doses there is noclinical depression of the respiratory centre. Theanalgesia obtained is poor when compared withthe true analgesic drugs, and nowadays its mostfrequent use is to obtain a refreshing sleep in awoman undergoing a tedious labour such as maybe expected in an elderly primipara. It can beused with complete safety to both mother andchild and although the infant may be somewhatdrowsy respiration commences without delay.The dose is from -iI drachm per stone of bodyweight to a maximum of 8 drachms and is made upto form a io per cent. solution with normal saline.

    Ether-in-oilThis method is used very much more extensively

    in America than in this country but has beenfavourably reported on by Milne and Younger6.It developed as a modification of the work of J. T.Gwathmy who used ether by the rectum for theproduction of anaesthesia. The advantagesclaimed for it are its complete safety, almostuniversal application and ease of control by thepractitioner working single-handed. In many partsof America it takes the place of gas and air in thiscountry.The technique of administration as described

    by Lull and Hingson7 is as follows:A cleansing enema of io per cent. sodium

    bicarbonate is given as mentioned previously.As soon as the patient's pains become uncom-fortable she is given nembutal 3-41 gr. bymouth; when the effect of this is wearing offit may be repeated or in the case of a protracted

    labour morphine gr. I - may be substituted.The ether enema, which may be either of thefollowing:

    (a) Ether 2 OZ. olive oil ii oz. or(b) Ether 24 oz. paraldehyde 2 drachms,

    olive oil 9s. 4 Oz.is given when once again the pains becomeuncomfortable.The analgesic effect is maximal after about 40

    minutes and lasts from 2-6 hours; the ethermay be repeated as required, the averagenullipara requiring 2-3 instillations, the averagemultipara l-2. In case of need during the crown-ing of the head the analgesia may be augmentedby some form of inhalational anaesthetic.

    Bromethol (Avertin)This drug is occasionally used in the same way

    as described for paraldehyde, it has however theadded disadvantages of causing respiratory depres-sion and is reported to depress the uterine con-tractions. The dose is 75 mgm. per kilo of bodyweight less 6, kilos for the weight of the uterus andits contents. Under no circumstances must thisdosage be increased, if the degree of analgesiaproduced is insufficient gas and air or gas andoxygen by inhalation should be superimposed.

    (b) THE INHALATIONAL ANALGESICSThe importance of antenatal instruction in the

    use of any type of apparatus for this method hasalready been stressed and it must be ensured thatthe patient is conversant with the followingpoints:

    (i) She must learn how to apply the face-pieceto obtain an air-tight fit.

    (2) The object of the finger-hole safety deviceif present must be understood and how it isoccluded.

    (3) For analgesia to be effective inhalation mustbe conmenced immediately she feels that a painis imminent. This enables her to hold her breathand bear down during the second stage whilst thepain is at its height.

    Nitrous oxideNitrous oxide possesses many advantages for

    analgesia in obstetrics. It will produce a rapid andsatisfactory analgesia, will not interfere withuterine contractions and in the absence of anoxiais completely non-toxic to both mother and child.It is however a weak anaesthetic and for anadequate effect to be obtained the oxygen intakeof the patient when using any machine is reducedto a level bordering on the physiological minimum.Therefore as a method it is contra-indicated in apatient who cannot tolerate a reduced oxygenblood tension because of the effect, of anoxia on a

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  • 530 POST GRADUATE MEDICAL JOURNAL * October 1948

    , pre iously damaged myocardium. There is com-plete absence of any foetal depression, and labouris frequently hastened. Because it does not inter-fere in any way with liver function it is the methodof choice in the toxaemias of pregnancy.

    Nitrous oxide and oxyg-nThis is probably the best method available and

    a mixture of from 10-I5 per cent. oxygen and90-85 per cent. nitrous oxide is the one usually em-ployed by an anaesthetist supervising the analgesiaand using an intermittent flow machine. Threeto four breaths at the onset of a pain are requiredbefore analgesia is established. The patient cancontrol her own analgesia in this way until thelate second stage, when if necessary the anaesthetistcan take over the machine and produce a fullanaesthesia.

    Special types of apparatus have been designedfor the production of an intermittent flow, this isessential to avoid wastage of.expensive material.The McKesson ^-hid Portanest machines are themost popular but recently Chassar Moir hasreported favourably on a machine which has beenused in Denmark for some years.

    Nitrous oxide and airIn an attempt to reproduce the satisfactory

    conditions obtainable with gas and oxygen, with-out constant supervision being necessary Minnittintroduced his gas and air machine in I9331. Atpresent this is the only method available for useby the domiciliary midwife. The original machinewas constructed to deliver approximately 45 percent. of nitrous oxide and 55 per cent. of air.Although in a few cases there is failure to obtainperfect analgesia many thousands of patients haveobtained satisfactory relief without ill effect toeither mother or child. It is well recognized thatmost of the failures occur in the hysterical, unco-operative type of patient. The principle governingthe design of this machine was to produce anapparatus which would be completely safe for thepatient and' yet would require the minimumamount of supervision. To attain these ends itwas necessary tr) sacrifice a certain amount ofefficiency.When a constant gas-air mixture is all that is

    available it is difficult to obtain analgesia withsufficient rapidity from the moment when thepatient feels that a pain is imminent to the timewhen the pain is at its height. The experiencedmidwife overcomes this difficulty by anticipatingthe onset of a pain, but this entails constant andalert supervision. To accelerate the onset of anal-gesia other workers have attacked the problemfrom a different angle. Moir8 has designed umachine in which a limited quantity of pure

    nitrous oxide (Q gallon) flows into a reservoir bagfrom which the patient breathes, as soon as thishas become empty only air is available. Theapparatus is so designed that the bag takes oneminute to refill and no more nitrous oxide can beobtained in this period. In the Wellhouseapparatus designed by Elam9 this principle hasbeen developed so that following one breath ofpure nitrous oxide the ordinary mixture of gasand air is available. This was thought to be neces-sary as the period of analgesia produced by theMoir apparatus is frequently insufficient to coverthe whole pain. An attachment is now availablewhich can be fitted to the Minnitt's apparatus toproduce the same sequence of events.

    Trichlorethylene (Trilene)Trichlorethylene is an unsaturated chlorinated

    hydrocarbon, which is a colourless transparentfluid with a sweet odour. Both the liquid and itsvapour are stable and non-inflammable and forthis reason it can be safely used in domiciliarypractice. The vapour is non-irritant to the res-piratory tract at low concentrations, is rapidlyabsorbed through the lungs and has a powerfulnarcotic action but it is somewhat slowly excreted.The drug is relatively non-toxic to the healthyliver and kidneys and has very little effect onthe blood chemistry and for this reason it has beenused without ill effect in the toxaemias of preg-nancy. Trichlorethylene is produced under thetrade name of Trilene which is coloured blue todistinguish it from chloroform. Because of its lowvolatility the use of an open mask is unsatisfactory,and an apparatus for the administration of aTrichlorethylene vapour/air mixture was firstdescribed by Freedman'0. This is designed forself-administration in a manner similar to theMinnitt's machine and is claimed to produce aconstant vapour strength. The finger hole safetydevice is incorporated as in the gas and airmachines in order that analgesia alone and notanaesthesia will be obtained.A modified version of the original Freedman's

    machine is now being used with increasingfrequency both in hospitals and domiciliarypractice. Very satisfactory results as regards reliefof pain are obtained and in this respect it appearsslightly superior to gas and air. Clinically thereare no toxic effects beyond the occurrence ofoccasional cardiac arrythmias and it does notappear to influence the course of labour. The onlyserious drawback to the method is the tendencyof a very few patients to pass beyond the stage ofanalgesia into one of unco-operative stupor.When this is observed the withdrawal of theinhaler rectifies the condition and there seem to beno ill effects, but for complete safety constant

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  • October 1948 HELLIWELL and HUTTON: Analgesia in Obstetrics 531

    supervision of the patient is essential. Trichlor-ethylene has been used frequently without illeffects on cases of cardiac insufficiency.

    This method is most satisfactorily combinedwith pethidine given in the early stages of labour,the only combination of drugs which must beavoided is that a cyclopropane anaesthetic in a closedcircuit system must not be superimposed on a tri-chlorethylene analgesia, owing to the danger oftoxiceffects, due to decomposition in the soda-lime.

    Several different types of apparatus have beenconstructed with which analgesia may easily andspeedily be deepened into anaesthesia if requiredin the second stage, of these the best known arethose of Marrett" and Hyatt12. Recently anextremely portable apparatus for the production ofanalgesia alone has been described by Hayward-Buttl3.

    Trichlorethylene i& a suitable alternative to gasand air. For domiciliary practice the apparatushas the advantage of being more easily Portableand also the cost per case is very small.

    ChloroformIt is now just over ioo years since Simpson first

    used chloroform in obstetric practice and it stillremains one of the most commonly used analgesicsin domiciliary practice at the present time. Thereasons why it has retained its popularity for suchan immense period of time are the rapid andefficient analgesia produced, the simplicity of itsadministration, without any complicated equip-ment, and the fact that it is both non-inflammableand economical to use. It will be noted that thesesame advantages can be claimed for trichlorethy-lene.

    Chloroform however is by no means without itsdisadvantages, it depresses contraction of theuterine musculature and therefore tends to prolonglabour and predispose to post partum haemorrhage.It is toxic to both mother and child and althoughit is sometimes claimed that the pregnant motheris immune to the risk of primary cardiac failure,that she is not immune to all the dangers of chloro-form was well shown in the Investigation under-taken by the Royal College of Obstetricians andGynaecologists in I934 when there were twodeaths attributable to this drug. Chloroform hasbeen the subject of much bitter controversy. Itis probable that its opponents have over emphas-ized its dangers, it is equally certain that itsadherents have minimized them. Since there are.now so many undoubtedly safer drugs availableit is hard to produce a convincing argument forthe retention of this drug.

    Chloroform may be administered intermittentlyon an open mask using a drop bottle or chloroformcapsules. Various inhalers may be used instead,

    probably the safest of which is Mennell's modi-fication of Junker's bottle.

    In view of the fact that trichlorethylene pos-sesses all the virtues of chloroform without itsdisastrous drawbacks it is tending to replacechloroform in domiciliary practice among manypractitioners.Other inhalational methodsThe irritant properties of ether vapour preclude

    its use to any great extent for intermittent anal-gesia, but when the requisite closed-circuit equip-ment is available 5 per cent. cyclopropane inoxygen may be used and in this concentration ithas little or no depressant effect on the foetus.This has the advantage that the mother is breathingan excess of oxygen and is probably the method ofchoice in a patient whose cardiac insufficiency isgiving rise to anxiety. Cyclopropane may also beused to advantage in toxaemias.(c) LOCAL AND REGIONAL TECHNIQUESThe main attraction of any of the following

    methods is the complete absence of any toxiceffects on the child from the analgesic used;the main drawback is the specialized knowledgeand skill required for their administration and thefact that few are suitable for use outside aninstitution.

    (i) Subarachnoid blockThis has no place in a straightforward labour.

    Under certain circumstances however a low spinalblock to Sacral I may be used for a low forcepsdelivery. In these cases it must never be used ifthe mother is suffering from shock or if the headis not on the perineum.

    (2) Caudal block (Extra-dural block)The dural sac terminates in the sacral canal at

    the level of the lower border of the second sacralvertebra. Any fluid injected through the sacralhiatus into the sacral canal will spread upwardsextra-durally and come into contact with thespinal nerves where they pass out from themeninges. The level to which this fluid will risedepends almost entirely on the volume of fluidwhich is injected. The level of analgesia thereforewhich is to be obtained when a local analgesicsolution is injected, through the sacral hiatus canbe accurately determined.

    It has been shown that the sensory nerve path-ways from the body of the uterus enter the spinalcord through the iith and I2th dorsal segments.Sensory nerve pathways from the lower birthcanal enter the cord via the sacral segments.Motor nerves to the uterus on the other handcome from the upper thoracic segments; if thenerve pathways below the ioth dorsal segment are

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  • 532 POST GRADUATE MEDICAL JOURNAL October I948

    blocked, the pain of labour is entirely abolishedwithout interfering with the uterine contractions.It is on these anatomical facts that the success ofthis method depends.The disadvantage of caudal block is in the

    limitations imposed upon its use. Because of therigid asepsis required it can only be employedsafely in an hospitalized patient, and she must bein the labour theatre at least one hour beforedelivery is due. For the complete success of themethod the possibility of its use should have beenenvisaged before the onset of labour so that themother is fully conversant with the principle, andonly a co-operative and temperamentally suitablepatient should be chosen. It is said by some that20 per cent. of patients have sacral abnormalitieswhich physically preclude the method and furtherthe technique can be made extremely difficult byobesity. Local infection at the site of injection isa complete contraindication and it must only beused with circumspection in cases of profoundanaemia and dehydration. Caudal block is alsocontra-indicated in certain obstetric conditions,placenta praevia, premature separation of theplacenta and disproportion. One further pre-caution must be observed namely a history ofsensitivity to the analgesic agent.

    This method of analgesia has achieved a muchgreater popularity in the U.S.A. than in thiscountry. Originally a single dose method wasused but as the period of analgesia was ofteninsufficient continuous techniques have beenintroduced in which a needle is left in positionin the caudal canal. As the needle was liable tobreakage from movement of the patient Lull andHingson describe the use of a malleable needle orthe introduction of a ureteric catheter through alarge bore needle which is then withdrawn leavingthe catheter in position. The drug advocated is4i per cent. metycaine, using an initial dose of 30cc. Maintenance doses depending on the rate ofmetabolism of the drug by the patient are of 20 CC.every half to one hour. The indication for arepeat dose is given by a dropping of the level ofthe skin analgesia. A continuous drip techniquehas also been described.

    Great care must be taken when using any ofthese techniques to avoid either intrathecal orintravenous injection of the drug, as an addedprecaution when aspiration tests prove negative,5 cc. of the initial injection should be given and apause of 5 minutes made before injecting theremainder. In this way intrathecal injection willbe shown by loss of movement in the toes.

    Local InfiltrationThe injection of a local analgesic into the vulva

    is frequently used for an episiotomy or for the

    repair of perineal lacerations after birth. In anemergency some relief may be obtained during anormal delivery to ease the passage of the headthrough the perineum by infiltrating with i percent. procaine aroundc the vaginal orifice andbetween the vaginal wall and the rectum.Injections should also be made into the levatorani muscles and into the ischio-rectal fossae oneither side, from a point midway between the anusand the tuberosity of each ischium-to a depth oftwQ inches.

    Intravenous ProcaineA continuous infusion of intravenous procaine

    has been used recently in the U.S.A. to produceobstetrical analgesia. This method although onlysuitable for hospital use possesses the advantageof simplicity when compared with caudal analgesia.The concentKation of procaine used in the infusionis usually I.o per cent. made up in an aqueous5 per cent. glucose solution. The only apparentdanger is the threat of convulsions from overdosewhich is avoided by pre-medication with a barbi-turate usually nembutal 4 to 3 gr. by mouth priorto commencing the infusion and by the anaesthetistconstantly watching the patient for any twitchingof the facial or other muscles in which case thedrip is immediately stopped14. As however thismethod is still in an expermental stage its valuecannot yet be assessed.Whatever method of analgesia is to be employed

    it is of paramount importance to bear, in mirnd theeffect of the analgesic agent on the foetus, as anymethod of pain relief however effective whichmarkedly raises the incidence of asphyxia neona-torum is unsuitable for general use. As the non-volatile narcotics have a more prolonged depres-sant action in this respect than the volatile inhala-tional agents particularly trichlorethylene andgas and air, in most cases the best results areobtained by using the former drugs for the earlierstages of labour and reserving the inhalationalagents for the latter part of the first stage andsecond stage.

    REFERENCES

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    in Anaesth. and Anaig., 2s, No. 4, 133-146.

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