Abstract
This prospective study was completed to determine the influence of epidural anaesthesia on the fetoplacental circulation of normal subjects. Thirty-seven normal pregnant patients at term, undergoing elective Caesarean section, had Doppler measurements of the fetal umbilical artery blood flow velocity before and after epidural anaesthesia using lidocaine 2% without epinephrine. There were no differences in systolic/diastolic, resistance or pulsality indices following epidural anaesthesia. These results suggest that this technique has no adverse effect on fetoplacental circulation in normal non-labouring subjects.
Résumé
Cette étude prospective a pour but de déterminer l’influence de l’anesthésie épidurale sur la circulation foeto-placentaire dans le contexte d’une grossesse normale. Des indices de vélocité du flot de l’artère ombilicale foetale ont été mesurés par Doppler chez trentesept patientes gravides à terme, sans complications, programmées pour une césarienne élective, avant et après une anesthèsie épidurale utilisant la lidocaine 2% sans épinéphrine. Les indices de rapport systole/diastole, de résistance et de pulsatilité sont demeurés inchangés après l’induction de l’anesthésie épidurale. Ces constatations suggèrent que l’anesthésie épidurale n’a pas d’influence sur la circulation foetoplacentaire chez des patientes enceintes normales à terme qui ne sont pas en travail.
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Marquette, G.P., Mechas, T., Charest, J. et al. Epidural anaesthesia for elective Caesarean section does not influence fetal umbilical artery blood flow indices. Can J Anaesth 41, 1053–1056 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03015653
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03015653