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Subject Area

Neuropsychiatry

Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

Objectives To compare the effectiveness and safety of intradermal sterile water injection versus pethidine to decrease labor pain. Background In this study, we tried to clarify the possible role of sterile water injection as alternative to pethidine for relieving labor pain. Patients and methods A randomized controlled clinical trial was carried out on 78 parturient women in active phase of first stage of labor. Patients were randomly assigned to either one of two groups: group A (intradermal sterile water injection group) received four intradermal injections of 0.5-ml sterile water in the lumbosacral region, and group B (pethidine group) received 1 mg/kg intramuscular pethidine. The primary outcome of this study included the effect of two techniques in reliving labor pain according to visual analog scale. The secondary outcome included labor duration and delivery mode. Results Intradermal sterile water injection had significantly higher pain scores immediately before injection (P = 0.04), significantly lower pain scores at 60 min after injection (P = 0.009), and nonsignificantly lower pain scores at 30 min (P = 0.07) and 90 min (P = 0.12) after injection. Sterile water injection had significantly lower maternal vomiting (P < 0.001) and drowsiness (P < 0.001). There was a nonsignificant difference in neonatal Apgar score after 1 min (P = 0.07) and significantly higher Apgar score after 5 min in group A (P = 0.001). There was significant shortness of duration of labor in pethidine group (P = 0.042). There was no significant difference regarding mode of delivery (P = 0.455). Conclusion Sterile water injection is considered to be effective, safe, inexpensive, and acceptable method for decreasing labor pain.

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