A Comparative Study for Efficacy of Levobupivacaine and Ropivacaine on Labor Analgesia

Bupivacaine has been used for the purpose of epidural analgesia for many years but studies suggest that it produces higher degree of motor blockage and is cardiotoxic in higher doses, so a number of new drugs are being introduced. Based on their lower toxicity and less intense motor blockage levorotatory form of Bupivacaine, levobupivacaine and ropivacaine (an amide local anesthetic) have many advantages over Bupivacaine for the purpose of labour analgesia. So this study was planned to perform a comparison between efficacy and safety of levobupivacaine and ropivacaine for labour analgesia and it's effect on maternal and perinatal outcome. 100 parturients with 37-41wks pregnancy in active labour with no obstetrical and medical complications requesting for painless labour were included in the study. They were randomly divided into two groups of 50 participants each. Group A received levobupivacaine and group B was given ropivacaine. After the initial dose epidural top ups were given on patient demand. The parameters recorded were for analgesia, anaesthesia, motor, maternal, fetal, perinatal as well as assessment of progress of labour. The mean time, mean dose and mean number of boluses required were not statically different in the two groups. The motor blockage and degree of pain relief was also comparable in both the groups. Also the progress of labour and perinatal outcome were not stastically different in the two groups. Both drugs were safe. Both levobupivacaine and ropivacaine have equal efficacy and safety for labour analgesia and both of them have comparable maternal and perinatal outcome.