Dexmedetomidine versus sufentanil with high- or low-concentration ropivacaine for labor epidural analgesia: A randomized trial

Aim To study analgesic effects of dexmedetomidine or sufentanil, both combined with ropivacaine, in epidural analgesia during labor. Methods We recruited 160 primigravidae with full-term pregnancy who received epidural anesthesia during labor and randomized them into four groups to receive epidural administration of ropivacaine combined with sufentanil (RS1 and RS2 groups) or with dexmedetomidine (RD1 and RD2 groups). Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate before anesthesia (T-1), 15 min after anesthesia induction (T-2), on delivery (T-3) and 2 h postpartum (T-4), together with visual analogue scale scores, Bromage scores, Ramsay scores, adverse reactions during analgesia and urinary retention at 6 and 24 h postpartum were recorded; the pH, PCO2 and PO2 of umbilical cord arterial blood and Apgar scores at 1, 5 and 10 min after childbirth were assessed. Results RS1 group had significantly lower systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate than RD1 group at T-2 and T-3 (all P < 0.05), but not at T1. At T-2 and T-3, the other three groups were lower than RS2 group in visual analogue scale and Ramsay scores (all P < 0.05). After childbirth, RD2 group had significantly higher PO2 result than other three groups (P < 0.05). At 6 h postpartum, RD2 group had significantly fewer cases of urinary retention than RD1 and RS1 groups (both P < 0.05). Conclusion A relatively low concentration of ropivacaine, combined with dexmedetomidine, is better in analgesia during labor.