Programmed Intermittent Epidural Bolus for Labor Analgesia During First Stage of Labor: A Biased-Coin Up-and-Down Sequential Allocation Trial to Determine the Optimum Interval Time Between Boluses of a Fixed Volume of 10 mL of Bupivacaine 0.0625% With Fentanyl 2 [mu]g/mL.

BACKGROUND: Most studies that have compared programmed intermittent epidural bolus (PIEB) with continuous epidural infusion regimens have included patient-controlled epidural analgesia and/or manual bolus as rescue analgesia for breakthrough pain. Consequently, the optimal time interval between PIEB is yet to be determined. We designed a study to establish the optimal time interval between PIEB of 10 mL of bupivacaine 0.0625% with fentanyl 2 [mu]g/mL to produce effective analgesia in 90% of women during first stage of labor without breakthrough pain. METHODS: We conducted a double-blind sequential allocation trial with a biased-coin up-down design to obtain the effective interval 90% for the PIEB regimen. We included American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status 2-3 nulliparous women at term undergoing spontaneous or induced labor requesting epidural analgesia. An ultrasound-assisted epidural catheter placement was performed at L2/3 or L3/4. A test dose of 3 mL of bupivacaine 0.125% plus fentanyl 3.3 [mu]g/mL was followed by a loading dose of 12 mL of the same solution. PIEB was then started in women whose pain scores achieved Verbal Numerical Rating Score

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