Comparison of Different Delivery Modalities of Epidural Analgesia and Intravenous Analgesia in Labor: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis

Abstract

(Can J Anesth/J Can Anesth. 2023;70:406–442) There is still no preferred method of delivering neuraxial analgesia to pregnant patients. There are options such as continuous epidural infusion (CEI) and intermittent epidural bolus which can be controlled by a machine (programmed intermittent epidural bolus—PIEB), demand from an anesthesia provider (demand intermittent epidural bolus—DIEB), or the patient themselves (patient-controlled epidural analgesia—PCEA). The use of opioids for labor analgesia is also common in those who cannot receive spinal analgesia. This study aimed to compare the relationship between different analgesia delivery methods on maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes.