Epidural anesthesia causes temporary loss of voluntary movement and muscle strength in the lower extremities. Serious injury could be incurred if Marie attempts to get out of bed on her own, because her legs will be unable to sustain her weight. The nursing priority is to ensure her safety by implementing use of all four side-rails and instructing her to not get out of bed for the first time without assistance.…
If the epidural anesthesia needed to reduce the pain of labor and delivery had been packaged in a bag whose cap did not fit onto the main IV, no one could have put it directly into the bloodstream instead of the epidural space around the spine. If, as in some hospitals, two nurses check and double-check IV bags before they are hooked up to the main pump, this reduces the likelihood of error.…
Epidural anesthesia is preferred by some clinicians. Epidural anesthesia and analgesia requires placing a specially designed needle (Hustead, Tuohy, or Crawford) into the epidural space. Drugs may be injected directly through the needle or an epidural catheter may be inserted. Subsequent postoperative analgesia may utilize continuous drug infusion or injection of a single drug. A variety of other agents have been added to epidural infusions Epinephrine can induce a synergistic analgesic on the spinal cord as well as elicit vasoconstriction on the blood vessels for decreased absorption of local anesthetic36. Other multimodal approaches have utilized small doses of ketamine, an NMDA antagonist in the spinal cord, for sensory blockade and prevention of central sensitization of nociceptors37.…
Antenatal factors also influence the development of the baby, as during the pregnancy the mother may have taken illegal drugs or alcohol. This can cause the baby to develop an addiction; due to this they will have to be weaned off of it. Infections can also pass through the umbilical cord such as rubella, which can leave the baby deaf or blind when born. When the baby is being delivered, there may be complications which can affect the baby's health such as lack of oxygen. This can be caused by the umbilical cord becoming entangled. As a result of this, the baby can be left with permanent brain damage. Using analgesic drugs during labour is also a risk.…
The sample size consisted of nulliparous women planning to give birth vaginally. The women were put into two groups based on the treatment they received, either epidural analgesia or other forms of pain relief including continuous midwifery support (CMS). Women who received epidural analgesia was n=690, and women who received other methods of pain relief was n=302. The results show that back pain was common before, during, and after pregnancy, and women were at risk for post-partum back pain at six months if they had back pain before pregnancy or at two months after pregnancy. There was no significant relationship between “epidural analgesia, mode of delivery, spontaneous or induced labor, birthweight, and back pain during pregnancy” with post-partum back pain at six months. Headache was much more common in women who received epidural analgesia, during pregnancy and at two months, but not at six months. The study also showed that there was no association of migraine with epidural analgesia. In conclusion, epidural analgesia does not have a significant effect on persisting post-partum back pain, headache, or…
Visser, L (2001) ‘Epidural Anaesthesia’ Update in Anaesthesia, 13(11) pp 1- 4.Nda[online] Available at : http://www.nda.ox.ac.uk/wfsa (Accessed: 21 March, 2008).…
An epidural is a more invasive pharmacological pain relief measure compared to others and numbs the pain felt in labor to possibly eliminate almost all of the discomfort felt throughout the labor process (Sanders, 2014). However, just like with the amniotomy that Heather received, an epidural also has several advantages and disadvantages/risks. Besides pain…
If you receive an epidural anesthetic and need more than one dose, a tiny, flexible tube (catheter) will be placed where the anesthetic was injected. Additional doses will be given through the catheter. If you need pain medicine after surgery, the catheter will be kept in place.…
-Some university’s that are recommended for being an anesthesiologist are the Middle Tennessee School of Anastasia, The University of Phoenix, and The University of Southern California.…
The drugs used in labor epidurals are powerful enough to numb, and even paralyze, the mother 's lower body, so it is not surprising that there can be significant side effects for mother and baby. These side effects range for minor to life threatening and depend, to some extent, on the specific drugs used. Epidurals offer laboring wemon the most effective form of pain relif avalible. However, satisfaction with pain relief does not equate with overall satisfaction with birth. Epidurals are also associated with major disruptions to the process of birth.…
The most common procedure is the vacuum aspiration involving anaesthesia. The cervix is gently dilated, which may cause a sensation similar to menstrual cramping, a narrow tube is inserted through the vagina and cervix to the uterus so then pregnancy and contents of the uterine internal lining are vacuumed out. The risks involved with this are side effects including nausea, cramping, sweating and feeling faint. Rare side effects are heavy or prolong bleeding, blood clots, damage to the cervix and perforation of the uterus. Infections can occur due to remaining tissue or due to an STD or bacteria that has been introduced into the uterus, these can cause fever, pain, abdominal tenderness and potential scar tissue. Dilation and extraction is another surgical procedure. This involves a luminaria to be inserted vaginally to dilate the cervix two days before the procedure. This causes the water to break on the third day. The fetus is rotated and forceps are used to grasp and pull the legs, shoulders and arms through the birth canal. A small incision is made at the base of the skull to allow a suction catheter inside. The catheter removes the cerebral material until the skull collapses. The fetus is then completely removed. The side effects are the same as dilation and evacuation. However, there is an increased chance of emotional problems from the reality of more advanced fatal…
One of the most positive experiences is bringing a child into this world. There are two ways that a baby can be delivered, vaginally and a cesarean section. Since the 1990s, cesarean sections have become the most common procedure in the United States. This procedure is necessary for certain circumstances, such as a breech baby or placental abruption. Some women are now preferring elective cesarean sections due to personal preference. There are nearly 1.4 million babies born surgically in the United States every year. This trend is due to an increase in elective cesarean sections that are not medically necessary. As with any surgery, there are always risks and complications involved. In this case, it's to both the mother and the baby. The cost…
I currently work in a Mother/Baby Labor and Postpartum Unit at a military treatment facility located in Hawaii. The majority of all our patients request an epidural to assist with the pain of childbirth. Since the patients are numb from the waist down, we insert a urinary catheter to monitor output of all patients. The majority of our patients have increased swelling from the vaginal deliver and must keep the urinary catheter in place for additional days. Any of our patients receiving a cesarean section to deliver their baby, usually require hair removal. Due to the lack of funding, we often have to shave our patients instead of using surgical clippers.…
When we started to pushing process the doctor said that we needed to remove the epidural because I wasn’t pushing with enough force. The pain was excruciating and in that moment the doctor confirmed my instincts. Something was wrong. I screamed with pain and I heard my husband ask the doctor if I was going to die.…
One of the other definite pros of the Lamaze classes was learning about the epidural. We learnt how it is put in and some the positive and negative things about having one. I knew that I would probably want to request one when the pain got to be too much but I did have my doubts because I have heard a lot of negatives things about epidurals in the past. Fortunately, my instructor was able to put my worries to rest by educating me further on the topic and giving me enough confidence in epidurals that I decided if I was able to get one during labor I would. I am happy to say I have no regrets on the epidural, whatsoever.…