Comparison of ‘of Oxygen, N2O and Dexamethasone Mixture’ vs. ‘Remifentanil and Dexamethasone' in Painless Delivery Control: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran.

3 Associate Professor, Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran.

10.22038/ijogi.2025.82723.6215

Abstract

Introduction: Labor pain is often severe, and unrelieved pain can negatively impact women's physiological status. Accurate measurement and effective management of pain is crucial for medical and nursing staff. Various options for pain relief during labor come with their own risks and benefits. The present study was conducted with aim to compare the efficacy of Entonox and Dexamethasone versus Remifentanil and Dexamethasone in painless delivery control.
Methods: This study was conducted in 2018-2019 on 100 pregnant women (Gravida 1) in the active phase of labor who were selected from the patients visiting Alavi Hospital. Group A received analgesia through inhalation of a mixture of oxygen and N2O (Entonox) along with dexamethasone, while Group B received analgesia through injections of remifentanil and dexamethasone. Pain scores were measured based on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) before the intervention and at 30, 60, 120, and 180 minutes after the intervention. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 25) and independent t and Mann-Whitney tests. P<0.05 was considered significant.
Results: Pain severity was significantly lower in the Remifentanil and Dexamethasone group at 30, 60, 120, and 180 minutes post-intervention compared to the Entonox and Dexamethasone group. No significant differences were observed between the two groups in obstetric indices (p=0.233) and neonatal (p=0.25) complications.
Conclusion: Concomitant use of remifentanil and dexamethasone is recommended compared to Entonox and dexamethasone due to providing more favorable analgesia during labor.

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