Assess patients submitted to elective cesarean section under spinal anesthesia, and the efficacy of different doses of fentanyl associated with bupivacaine.
The study included 124 pregnant women randomly distributed into 4 groups (n = 31) according to different doses of fentanyl (15 μg, 10 μg, 7.5 μg), Groups I, II, and III, respectively, and control group IV, associated with 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine (10 mg). An epidural catheter was inserted in case epidural top-up was required. We assessed the anesthetic blockage characteristics, negative maternal and neonatal outcomes, and maternal side effects. Statistical analysis was performed using Kruskal-Wallis, Fisher’s exact and chi-square tests. The level of significance was 5% ( p < 0.05).
The quality of analgesia, time for the first complaint of pain and motor block recovery time were significantly better for groups that received fentanyl in comparison to controls ( p < 0.001). None of the groups had negative maternal-fetal outcomes. Nausea was significantly more frequent in patients in Groups II (10 µg) and III (7.5 µg) when compared to Groups I (15 µg) and IV (no fentanyl). Vomiting was more frequent in Group III than in Group I ( p = 0.006). The incidence of pruritus was significantly higher in the groups receiving fentanyl ( p = 0.012).