Comparison of Labor Pain in Nulliparous Women with the Remifentanil and Hydrotherapy

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the labor pain intensity in nullipar women in remifentanil and hydrotherapy. Materials and Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 118 nulliparous women were included in the study. Patients were randomly divided into two groups. When remifentanil group mothers entered the active phase of labor (dilation 4-5 cm), they underwent a continuous infusion of intravenous remifentanil at a dose of 50-100 μg/h using a pump. All mothers underwent pulse oximetry and continuous FHR monitoring, and the mother's vital signs were checked before the infusion and every 30 minutes after the intervention. In hydrotherapy group, patients received hot shower three to four times for 4-5 minutes each time for dilation of 4-5 cm, and there were no restrictions in this regard. Results: All nullipar women, aged 18 to 35 years, with spontaneous onset of labor pains were evaluated according to the study criteria. A total of 118 patients with a mean age of 24.77±5.59 years (range: 18-35 years) were studied and the mean BMI of patients studied was 28.31±11.3 (range: 23.05-29.54). In the present study, the frequency of unintended pregnancies was 15.3% and most cases of childbirth were normal (85.6%). In both groups, 8 patients had a normal delivery by cesarean section. Significantly, the pain intensity in stage 2 delivery in the remifentanil group was lower than in the hydrotherapy group (p = 0.001). The median pain intensity in active labor stage was 7 in the remifentanil group (IQR: 9-10) (range: 3-10) and 9 (IQR: 10-9) (range: 3-10) in the hydrotherapy group. in the remifentanil group, the pain intensity was significantly lower in active labor stage (p = 0.001).