Key result
Epidural analgesia rates across obstetric units greatly influenced the incidence of instrumental delivery (P < 0.001), but did not determine the incidence of caesarean section.
Why the study?
Does the rate of epidural analgesia influence the rate of instrumental deliveries and caesarean sections in women with low risk labour?
Population
104,932 women with presumed low risk labour profile across 85 obstetric units
Comparison
Epidural analgesia vs Varying rates of epidural analgesia across…
Design
Cohort
Authors
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Unit-level epidural rates should not yet alter protocols; leaves open causal effects on instrumental delivery in low-risk labor.
Observational (n=104,932)
Yes
Does the rate of epidural analgesia influence the rate of instrumental deliveries and caesarean sections in women with low risk labour?
p-value: p=<0.001
Higher rates of epidural analgesia in obstetric units are associated with increased rates of instrumental deliveries but do not affect caesarean section rates in low-risk pregnancies.
G. MARTENS H. CAMMU (1998) conducted an observational in Low risk labour (n=104,932). Epidural analgesia was evaluated on Incidence of obstetric intervention (instrumental delivery, caesarean section) in relation to epidural analgesia use (p=<0.001). Epidural analgesia rates across obstetric units greatly influenced the incidence of instrumental delivery (P < 0.001), but did not determine the incidence of caesarean section.
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