OBJECTIVES: To determine maternal and neonatal outcomes according to whether or not the application of transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TSE) to relieve the pain of labor prior to the installation of combined technical (plus spinal epidural). METHODS: It was a clinical trial, randomized, open, involving 22 women with pregnancy to term and single fetus in cephalic presentation, attended by hospital-school at tertiary level in Recife, Brazil. These patients were randomized to receive or not TSE prior to the installation of combined anesthesia (spinal anesthesia plus epidural) for labor analgesia. We evaluated the intensity of pain by visual analog scale (VAS), the time elapsed between initial assessment and the need to install the combined anesthesia, the duration of labor, the frequency of cesarean and instrumental delivery, and Apgar scores of the frequency of neonatal hypoxia. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney and Fisher's exact test, considering the significance level of 5%. RESULTS: The time between the assessment of pain and the mother need to install the combined technique was significantly higher in the group of TSEs (median 90 minutes) compared to the control group (median 30 minutes). The duration of labor was similar in both groups (around six hours). There was no difference in the evolution of the VAS scores during labor. The frequency of cesarean section was 18.2% in both groups. Only one delivery was completed to forcipe in the control group. The median score in the fifth minute Apgar score was 10, there were no cases of neonatal hypoxia. CONCLUSIONS: The application of TSE was effective in delaying the installation of combined anesthesia to maintain satisfactory analgesia during labor, but no significant effect on the intensity of pain and duration of labor. There were no deleterious effects maternal and neonatal deaths.

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