We sought to determine whether spinal clonidine 50 microg prolongs the analgesia from the spinal administration of sufentanil 7.5 microg and bupivacaine 2.5 mg early in the first stage of labor. Thirty patients were randomized to receive a 2-mL spinal injection of sufentanil 7.5 microg + bupivacaine 2.5 mg with or without clonidine 50 microg using a combined spinal-epidural (CSE) technique. Pain, nausea, pruritus, sedation, motor block, blood pressure, and heart rate were assessed until the patient requested additional analgesia. Analgesia was significantly prolonged in patients who received spinal sufentanil + bupivacaine + clonidine (197 +/- 70 vs 132 +/- 39 min; P = 0.004). Pain scores and side effects, including motor block, sedation, and hypotension, were similar between groups. Spinal clonidine significantly prolongs labor analgesia from spinal sufentanil and bupivacaine without producing serious adverse side effects.
Implications: We studied the effects of spinal clonidine administered with spinal sufentanil and bupivacaine on labor analgesia using a combined spinal-epidural technique and conclude that spinal clonidine significantly prolongs labor analgesia from spinal sufentanil and bupivacaine without producing serious adverse effects.