| Author Year Study Type | Intervention (N) | Vaginal Birth N (%) | Assisted Vaginal Birth N (%) | Cesarean Birth N (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leong et al.,56 2000 Prospective cohort | Entonox plus IM pethidine (68) | 56 (82.4) | 9 (13.2) | 3 (4.4) |
| Bupivacaine epidural (55) | 28 (50.9) | 22 (40.1)* | 5 (9.0) | |
| Abboud et al.,40 1995 RCT | Nitrous oxide, 30-60% oxygen (40) | 35 (87.5) | 5 (12.5) | 0^ |
| Desflurane 1-4.5% and oxygen (40) | 31 (77.5) | 9 (22.5) | 0^ | |
| Ranta et al.,58 1994 Prospective cohort | Nitrous oxide 50% (210) | NR (95) | NR (2) | NR (3) |
| Water blocks (69) | NR (90) | NR (3) | NR (7) | |
| Pethidine (50) | NR (91) | NR (2) | NR (7) | |
| Paracervical block (128) | NR (94) | NR (3) | NR (3) | |
| Epidural anesthesia (82) | NR (80) | NR (11) | NR (9) | |
| Several methods (339) | NR (86) | NR (7) | NR (7) | |
| No analgesia (213) | NR (94) | NR (1) | NR (5) | |
| Harrison et al.,62 1987 Prospective cohort | Entonox (20)† | 12 (60.0) | 7 (35.0) | 0 |
| TENS (50) | 32 (64.0) | 14 (28.0) | 4 (8.0) | |
| Pethidine plus promazine (50) | 32 (64.0) | 18 (36.0) | 0 | |
| Lumbar epidural (50) † | 13 (26.0) | 31 (62.0)θ | 3 (6.0)θ | |
| Rosen et al.,66 1969 Nonrandomized clinical trial | Nitrous oxide 50% (265) | 235 (88.7) | 30 (11.3) | 0 |
| Trichloroethylene 0.35% or 0.5% (394) | 345 (87.5) | 46 (11.7) | 3 (0.8) | |
| Methoxyflurane 0.35% (598) | 525 (87.8) | 68 (11.4) | 5 (0.8) | |
| Jones et al.,54 1969 Quasi-RCT | Nitrous oxide calibrated in 5% steps from 20% to 100% oxygen (24) | 19 (79.2) | 5 (20.8) | 0^ |
| Methoxyflurane with 40% oxygen (24) | 19 (79.2) | 5 (20.8) | 0^ |
NR = not reported; RCT = randomized controlled trial
p < 0.01
Study only included women with vaginal births.
One woman in the Entonox group and three women in the lumbar epidural group had breech births that are not included in the table because the route of birth was not identified.
The operative birth rate (which included forceps- and vacuum-assisted births, cesarean births, and breech births) was higher for women whose initial choice was epidural than any of the other analgesia methods (p < 0.001).
From: Results
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