Obstetricians'Attitudes toward Epidural Analgesia for Labor in a Single University Hospital in Thailand
Issued Date
2022-07-01
Resource Type
ISSN
08576084
eISSN
26730871
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85134615618
Journal Title
Thai Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Volume
30
Issue
4
Start Page
251
End Page
262
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Thai Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Vol.30 No.4 (2022) , 251-262
Suggested Citation
Nivatpumin P., Lertbunnaphong T., Bunfoo S. Obstetricians'Attitudes toward Epidural Analgesia for Labor in a Single University Hospital in Thailand. Thai Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Vol.30 No.4 (2022) , 251-262. 262. doi:10.14456/tjog.2022.23 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/87284
Title
Obstetricians'Attitudes toward Epidural Analgesia for Labor in a Single University Hospital in Thailand
Author(s)
Author's Affiliation
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Objectives: To elucidate obstetricians' attitudes toward epidural analgesia for labor regarding maternal outcomes and complications and to describe commentaries about the use of epidural analgesia. Materials and Methods: This was a questionnaire paper-based, cross-sectional study. The questionnaire was made available over the period of February 2020 to August 2020. The questionnaire comprised 25 items and used a 5-point Likert scale for the responses. The respondents' attitudes stratified by their subspecialty, position (residents or graduate obstetricians), and work experience were also analyzed. Results: Out of 124 obstetricians working in our institute, 75 completed and returned the questionnaire, for a response rate of 60.5%. Among the respondents, 44 (58.7%) agreed that patients with vaginal labor should receive epidural analgesia if there are no contraindications. Most the obstetricians agreed that epidural analgesia for labor prolonged the second stage of labor (71.2%) and led to an increased rate of instrumental delivery (67.1%). On the other hand, only 31.5% agreed that epidural analgesia increased the rate of cesarean delivery. Obstetricians in the maternal-fetal medicine subspecialty reported significantly more experience with epidural analgesia cases than the other specialties (p < 0.001). The mean overall satisfaction score regarding the epidural analgesia for labor in our institute (0-100) was 68.2±15.8. Conclusion: This study revealed that a high proportion of obstetricians believed that epidural analgesia for labor mainly affects labor outcomes including the mode of delivery and side effects. There is also a need to ensure all staff involved in the labor suite have a greater understanding of various aspects regarding the use of epidural analgesia for labor.