Systematic Research Review Systematic Research Reviews (SRR) is seen as the highest level of evidence that synthesizes all relevant studies and critically analyzes key elements to answer a specific research question (Sriganesh, Shanthanna & Busses, 2016). The aim of this paper is to critique an SRR related to early versus late initiation of epidural analgesia for labor, the relevance of the research problem, research rigor, levels of evidence, clarity of the findings, overall findings and implications for use in current nursing practice and future research. Relevance of the Research Problem Patients have a choice to deliver their babies without any form of pain medication and having a natural delivery is a painful process. Many women view this process as the worst pain they have ever experienced in their lifetime (Sng et al., 2014). The laboring process starts out as mild to severe pain. When the level of pain becomes unbearable, patients often seek out ways to relieve their pain and often times, it is done through epidural analgesia. The controversial issue among pregnant women is knowing when the correct time to request an epidural. The aim of this review is to provide evidence base information on the safety of early initiation versus late initiation of epidural analgesia and its maternal and fetal outcome (Sng et al., 2014). The relevance of this topic is to see if epidural timing can cause an effect on the laboring process such as increasing the risk of caesarean
Four years later, I got pregnant. I was nervous, scared and anxious. The doctor I saw said that I could have a VBAC(vaginal birth after c-section). I raided the library and read books on that subject. It was then I found out that the United States had the highest incidence of C-sections in the world. Research shows that epidurals increase the use of other interventions that themselves carry risks. These interventions include electronic fetal monitoring (which has shown to increase the likelihood of a cesarean without improving outcome), I. V oxytocin, and instrumental delivery. Epidurals also deprive women of a sense of mastery over labor. Goer, Henci. "Epidurals Myth Vs Reality." Childbirth Instructor Magazine Winter 1995: 17-22
The purpose of a systematic review is to attempt to find, evaluate and synthesize high quality research relevant to the research question. A systematic review uses carefully developed data collection and sampling procedures that are put in place in advance as a protocol. (Polit, 2012). A systematic review must contain the following: a clear inclusion and exclusion criteria, an explicit search strategy, systematic coding and analysis of included studies, and a meta-analysis if possible. (Hemingway & Brereton, 2009). Systematic reviews are conducted by nurse researchers to avoid reaching incorrect or misleading conclusions that
Childbirth is one of the greatest privileges on the earth anyone could have and we, as women, should feel proud to be major contributors for it. Thus, a mother has to play a key role in aiding the healthcare workers to mitigate the health crisis associated with childbirth by performing her duties faithfully. One such associated health crisis is “Premature (preterm) birth” which occurs when the baby is born too early, before 37 weeks of gestational period (CDC, 2015). The rate of preterm birth ranges from 5% to 18% of babies born across 184 countries (WHO, 2015).
An abrupt cessation of opioids during pregnancy can lead to many severe complications, affecting both mother and fetus. Poor fetal outcomes may be seen due to this discontinuation of opioids such as an increased risk of intrauterine passage of meconium and neonatal aspiration, preterm labor and birth, fetal growth restriction, as well as fetal distress or demise (Keough & Fantasia, 2017). There is also an increased risk of placenta previa, placental abruption, premature rupture of membranes, and postpartum hemorrhage, all maternal high-risk factors (Shaw et al., 2016). Therefore, it is detrimental to educate woman of the child-bearing age of these dangers prior to their attempt to conceive.
Giving birth should be a beautiful experience even though delivery can be terrifying and discomfort. Even though women have the decision to choose between having a natural childbirth or get an epidural majority of women give birth at a hospital get an epidural. Make sure when you base your decision on what’s best for your infant and not base off anyone influencing you. What constitutes a “Natural childbirth”? A natural childbirth is when a woman gives birth without any medication. You can choose between having a mid-wife and having an at home birth or you can give birth at the hospital without any medication either way is consider giving natural childbirth. According to Kristeen, an epidural is drugs called local anesthetics, such as bupivacaine, chloroprocaine, or liocaine it numbs the abdomen or pelvic region during labor. An epidural is given when the women is about 4 or 5 centimeters dilated (Cherney, par.2-6). In order to get an epidural you have to get a shot in your spine (lower back). In 1909, the first caudal anaesthesia was given for labor pains by a German obstetrical, Walter Stoeckel, and he study 141 cases of healthy laboring women with epidurals. In 1931, the first catheter was used in an epidural. By the 1940s, epidural were being used sporadically for labor but did not gain true momentum until the 1970s. This was in large part due to the fact that other
According to the American Pregnancy organization “more than 50% of woman giving birth at hospitals use Epidural Anesthesia”. These women turn to epidural to relieve the pain of labor; however this decision poses many risks to both mother and child. An epidural is a type of regional anesthesia where pain medication is administered to the lumbar and sacral region of the back near clusters of nerves. The placement allows for nerve impulses to be blocked from the lower regions of the body resulting in decreased sensations. Although the epidural is known for taking pain away it could very well cause it too. Epidurals include the use of various narcotics and have side effects like hypotension, fever, fetal malposition, decreased fetal heart rate, respiratory depression, breastfeeding complications, an increased likelihood of operative vaginal delivery and cesarean and many more. These are the effects faced in result to a procedure that is not definite to work. In Fact “One in every 8 women” (OAA) will experience inadequate pain relief and must venture to other means of medication. Therefore, mothers should abstain from epidural anesthesia due to the risks it poses to themselves and to the fetus.
Central Idea: Pain management is an important aspect of childbirth that women need to educate themselves on so they can make an informed decision when choosing which method they will use.
Spinal anesthesia and epidural anesthesia are methods of numbing a part of your body during a medical procedure. They involve an injection of a numbing medicine (anesthetic) in your back, near your spinal cord.
Adequate and effective management of perineal pain begins with a comprehensive assessment (Marcus et al, 2009; Breivikl et al, 2008; Dalton et al, 1999). However, Andrews et al, (2008) UK-based study concluded that there is no pain scale to date that has been developed to appropriately and accurately assess the perineal pain that women experience during the postnatal period. This begins to offer explanation as why up to 92% of new mothers endure perineal pain in the early postpartum period (Macarthur and Macarthur, 2004).To further support these findings Way (2012) discovered that women expect perineal pain following vaginal birth but under estimate the severity of the pain. Women will experience high levels of pain before requesting analgesia as they attempt to normalise the pain as a consequence of vaginal delivery (Swain and Dahlen, 2013). Macarthur and Macarthur (2004) conclude that the current management of perineal pain is inadequate as the use of analgesia is not standardised.
As you prepare yourself for “labor day,” try to learn as much as possible about pain relief options so that you will be better prepared to make decisions during the labor and birth process. Understanding the different types of epidurals, how they are administered, and their benefits and risks will help you in your decision-making during the course of labor and delivery Epidural anesthesia is a regional anesthesia that blocks pain in a particular region of the body. The goal of an epidural is to provide analgesia, or pain relief, rather than anesthesia, which leads to total lack of feeling. Epidurals block the nerve impulses from the lower spinal segments. This results in decreased sensation in the lower half of the body.
The research question implied by the study was whether use of a peanut ball could be an effective "nurse driven intervention" (Tussey, et. al., 2015) to decrease the length of labor and increase the rate of vaginal birth for women under epidural pain management. The research question stemmed from the increased use of peanut balls in labor and delivery; however, actual research on the outcomes of the use of peanut balls was limited, specifically involving the efficacy of such intervention with women using epidural pain management.
The patient will likely endure immense pain during labor throughout their series of contractions and continued dilation. An epidural injection is recommended to ease the pains of labor. The injection site is located in between the Lumbar spinal column, and will negate the pain signals from the waist down that would otherwise be sometimes unbearable to the mother.
A big question when for a pregnant woman is epidural or no epidural. There are many reasons that go into that decision but one of the biggest is pain. However, there is another option that is seemingly underutilized in the United States, nitrous oxide. According to Plenda (2014), between 50-60% of women in Finland, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom have been using nitrous oxide as analgesia during labor for generations, yet only 1% of the hospitals in the United State give it as an option. Nitrous oxide should be further investigated and possibly implemented as another option for American women in the labor and delivery setting.
Central Idea: Pain management is an important aspect of childbirth that women need to educate themselves on so they can make an informed decision when choosing which method they will use.
Childbirth can be described as one of the most rewarding and also painful experiences in a woman’s life. Most women choose some type of method to ease pain, however, there has been a lot of controversy over with pain management method is the most effective. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), In 2013, there were 3,932,181 births recorded in the United States, 32.7% of those births were surgical procedures. In 2012, 1.36% of recorded births occurred out-of-hospital, meaning these births took place mostly in homes or birthing centers. Without the option of medicine that a hospital provides, how were these women able to manage their pain during labor and delivery. There are many different methods for easing pain during childbirth, some methods involve the use of medicine and surgery, and others include natural techniques, such as hypnosis, Lamaze, and many others. It is a personal preference of the parents over which method is right for the needs of the mother and child. This can be an overwhelming decision for new parents to make because they have to take into consideration the safety of the mother and child, pain management for the mother and desire for medical involvement.