The Effects of Combined Spinal Epidurals on Fever During Labor of First-Time Mothers

Vaginal Delivery Clinical Trial

— CSE  

Official title:

Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Effects of Combined Spinal Epidural Analgesia on Intrapartum Fever.

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Withdrawn

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT00802646
• Other study ID #: 2008.
• Secondary ID: 2008.
• Status: Withdrawn
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: June 2009
• Est. completion date: June 2010

Study information

• Verified date: April 2023
• Source: Ochsner Health System
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine if the epidural of local anesthetics has an effect on fever that may occur in first time mothers during labor.

Description:

Intrapartum fever (fever during labor) is a real and potentially devastating problem. Infants delivered at term who have been exposed to the mother having a fever during labor have a >9 fold increased risk of cerebral palsy. Studies have also shown an increased risk of neonatal encephalopathy associated with fever during labor. Maternal fever in the absence of infection is associated with a 4 fold increased risk of neonatal hypoxic encephalopathy and 3.4 fold increased risk of unexplained neonatal seizures.

The likely role of inflammatory mediators in the process of maternal fever (temperature >100.4), regardless of etiology, makes it important to further investigational studies in an effort to discover the etiology of intrapartum fever associated with epidural analgesia. If an inflammatory trigger (i.e., the injection of epidural local anesthetics) can be identified or delayed, then the risks of maternal hyperthermia can be minimized and/ or eliminated.

The greatest risk of fever with epidural labor analgesia is seen in women having their first child. This is the same population associated with prolonged labor. Although intrapartum fever has a very low incidence overall, 11-33% of first-time mothers will eventually develop fever >100.4 during epidural analgesia. Although the degree of rise in temperature occurs very slowly, it has been shown to be significant enough to cause increased neonatal sepsis workup and antibiotic coverage for both the mother and the neonate.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Withdrawn
• Enrollment: 0
• Est. completion date: June 2010
• Est. primary completion date: June 2010
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Female
• Age group: 18 Years to 34 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• having first child (nulliparous)

• term pregnancy (> 37 weeks)

• vertex presentation

• singleton gestation

• ability to provide informed consent

• request for analgesia for labor pain

Exclusion Criteria:

• birth of second or more child (multiparous)

• preterm pregnancy (< 37 weeks)

• presentation other than vertex (ie. breech, transverse)

• diabetic

• admit temperature > 99.5

• active drug/alcohol dependence

• active genital herpes infection

• allergy to anesthetics used

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Vaginal Delivery

Intervention

Drug:
• saline
intrathecal preservative free normal saline, 8ml/hour, beginning after intrathecal sufentanyl until additional pain medication is requested
• fentanyl/bupivacaine/epinephrine
intrathecal 0.125% fentanyl/bupivacaine/epinephrine, 8ml/hour, beginning after intrathecal sufentanyl until additional pain medication is requested The mother will then receive a new bag of fentanyl/bupivacaine/epinephrine.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	Ochsner Clinic Foundation	New Orleans	Louisiana

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Ochsner Health System

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (18)

Arkoosh VA, Palmer CM, Yun EM, Sharma SK, Bates JN, Wissler RN, Buxbaum JL, Nogami WM, Gracely EJ. A randomized, double-masked, multicenter comparison of the safety of continuous intrathecal labor analgesia using a 28-gauge catheter versus continuous epid — View Citation

Banerjee S, Cashman P, Yentis SM, Steer PJ. Maternal temperature monitoring during labor: concordance and variability among monitoring sites. Obstet Gynecol. 2004 Feb;103(2):287-93. doi: 10.1097/01.AOG.0000100155.85379.88. — View Citation

Dashe JS, Rogers BB, McIntire DD, Leveno KJ. Epidural analgesia and intrapartum fever: placental findings. Obstet Gynecol. 1999 Mar;93(3):341-4. doi: 10.1016/s0029-7844(98)00415-3. — View Citation

Fusi L, Steer PJ, Maresh MJ, Beard RW. Maternal pyrexia associated with the use of epidural analgesia in labour. Lancet. 1989 Jun 3;1(8649):1250-2. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(89)92341-6. — View Citation

Gleeson NC, Nolan KM, Ford MR. Temperature, labour, and epidural analgesia. Lancet. 1989 Oct 7;2(8667):861-2. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(89)93020-1. No abstract available. — View Citation

Goetzl L, Cohen A, Frigoletto F Jr, Lang JM, Lieberman E. Maternal epidural analgesia and rates of maternal antibiotic treatment in a low-risk nulliparous population. J Perinatol. 2003 Sep;23(6):457-61. doi: 10.1038/sj.jp.7210967. — View Citation

Goetzl L, Rivers J, Evans T, Citron DR, Richardson BE, Lieberman E, Suresh MS. Prophylactic acetaminophen does not prevent epidural fever in nulliparous women: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial. J Perinatol. 2004 Aug;24(8):471-5. doi: 10.1038/sj.jp. — View Citation

Goetzl L, Zighelboim I, Badell M, Rivers J, Mastrangelo MA, Tweardy D, Suresh MS. Maternal corticosteroids to prevent intrauterine exposure to hyperthermia and inflammation: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2006 O — View Citation

Goodlin RC, Chapin JW. Determinants of maternal temperature during labor. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1982 May 1;143(1):97-103. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(82)90689-5. — View Citation

Grether JK, Nelson KB. Maternal infection and cerebral palsy in infants of normal birth weight. JAMA. 1997 Jul 16;278(3):207-11. Erratum In: JAMA 1998 Jan 14;279(2):118. — View Citation

Impey L, Greenwood C, MacQuillan K, Reynolds M, Sheil O. Fever in labour and neonatal encephalopathy: a prospective cohort study. BJOG. 2001 Jun;108(6):594-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2001.00145.x. — View Citation

Kaul B, Vallejo M, Ramanathan S, Mandell G. Epidural labor analgesia and neonatal sepsis evaluation rate: a quality improvement study. Anesth Analg. 2001 Oct;93(4):986-90. doi: 10.1097/00000539-200110000-00038. — View Citation

Leighton BL, Halpern SH. The effects of epidural analgesia on labor, maternal, and neonatal outcomes: a systematic review. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2002 May;186(5 Suppl Nature):S69-77. doi: 10.1067/mob.2002.121813. — View Citation

Lieberman E, Eichenwald E, Mathur G, Richardson D, Heffner L, Cohen A. Intrapartum fever and unexplained seizures in term infants. Pediatrics. 2000 Nov;106(5):983-8. doi: 10.1542/peds.106.5.983. — View Citation

Lieberman E, Lang JM, Frigoletto F Jr, Richardson DK, Ringer SA, Cohen A. Epidural analgesia, intrapartum fever, and neonatal sepsis evaluation. Pediatrics. 1997 Mar;99(3):415-9. doi: 10.1542/peds.99.3.415. — View Citation

Ramin SM, Gambling DR, Lucas MJ, Sharma SK, Sidawi JE, Leveno KJ. Randomized trial of epidural versus intravenous analgesia during labor. Obstet Gynecol. 1995 Nov;86(5):783-9. doi: 10.1016/0029-7844(95)00269-w. — View Citation

Sharma SK, Alexander JM, Messick G, Bloom SL, McIntire DD, Wiley J, Leveno KJ. Cesarean delivery: a randomized trial of epidural analgesia versus intravenous meperidine analgesia during labor in nulliparous women. Anesthesiology. 2002 Mar;96(3):546-51. do — View Citation

Yancey MK, Zhang J, Schwarz J, Dietrich CS 3rd, Klebanoff M. Labor epidural analgesia and intrapartum maternal hyperthermia. Obstet Gynecol. 2001 Nov;98(5 Pt 1):763-70. doi: 10.1016/s0029-7844(01)01537-x. — View Citation

* Note: There are 18 references in all — Click here to view all references

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	temperature of mother		time of delivery
Secondary	neonatal APGAR, temperature and cord blood gas		time of birth