the effect of intrapartum epidural analgesia on nulliparous labor

our purpose was to determine the effect of epidural analgesia on nulliparous labor and delivery. nonnal term nulliparous women in spontaneous labor were divided into two groups in a quazi-experimental study, 100 in each group. the first group received epidural analgesia and the second had no analgesia at all. in the first group, an epidural catheter was placed in 3-4 cm cervical dilatation and the first dose of lidocaine 1 % was injected in 5-cm cervical dilatation. the next doses were injected according to certain criteria. then data were collected and analyzed by epi-6. there was no significant difference in cesarean rate in both groups (10% in the first group vs. 5% in the second one, p>o.l0) including cesarean for dystocia and fetal distress. also, there was no significant difference in the variable of spontaneous vaginal delivery between both groups (89% in the first group vs. 94% in the second one, p>0.10). occurrence of instrumental vaginal delivery was the same in both groups, no forceps, and one vacuum-assisted in each group. also there was no significant difference in the second stage of labor between the groups (less than 1 hour: 79% in the first group vs. 81 % in the second group, p>o.1 0 more than 1 hour: 11 % in the first group vs. 14% in the second group, p>0.10). epidural analgesia results in no significant difference in the course of labor and delivery in normal term nulliparous women and is a safe method of pain relief in these patients.