Self‐Administered Versus Nurse‐Administered Epidural Analgesia After Cesarean Section

To compare two methods of administering analgesia by the epidural route after cesarean sections. Quasi‐experimental. The postpartum area of a large community hospital. Fifty women undergoing planned cesarean sections with epidural anesthesia. The control group received continuous epidural analgesia with nurse‐administered boluses and the experimental group with self administered boluses. Outcome Measures: Pain control, side effects from medication, amount of medication required, postoperative activity levels, and patient satisfaction. Subjects receiving continuous epidural analgesia with self administered boluses of analgesic used significantly less fentanyl and fewer supplemental intravenous pain medications than subjects receiving continuous epidural analgesia with nurse‐administered boluses of analgesic. Subjects in self administered group required less pain medication than subjects in nurse‐administered group.