The effects of patient-controlled analgesia (maternal fever, interleukin 6 and interleukin 8) applied intravenously and epidurally in labor analgesia

The aim of this study was to compare maternal fever, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels among women who were administered either epidural or intravenous labor analgesia. The study included 30 pregnant women who had applied to the Gynecology & Obstetrics Clinics of Antalya Training and Research Hospital to have normal delivery. Patients were randomized to receive either epidural (Group I) or intravenous (Group II) analgesia. In both groups before analgesia and after the termination of labor, 5 ml blood was taken into yellow-cap gel tubes, which were centrifuged at 4100 rpm for 10 minutes. Sera were stored in 1-ml Eppendorf tubes at -800C. Serum IL-6 and IL-8 levels were measured with Human IL-6-PicoKine ELISA kit with a control vial and Human IL-8-PicoKine ELISA. The temperature was followed throughout the labor period. No patient in either group had a temperature above 380C during the labor period. Both groups showed significant increases in post-delivery IL-6 levels compared to pre-delivery levels (p<0.05). Post-delivery IL-8 levels were also raised in both groups, albeit statistically significant merely in Group II (p<0.05). Pre-delivery IL-6 level in Group 1 was significantly higher than that of Group II (p<0.05). Group I and Group II did not differ in terms of post-delivery IL-6 levels (p>0.05). Both the pre-delivery and post-delivery IL-8 level of Group I was significantly elevated compared with those of Group II (p<0.05). The difference between pre-and post-delivery IL-6 and IL-8 levels of both groups was found to be similar (p>0.05). While more markedly in epidural analgesia group, IL-6 and IL-8, which were among the cytokines released during normal delivery, exhibited elevations in pregnant women who were administered either epidural or intravenous analgesia. It implies no alteration to occur in cellular immune response by the analgesia method used in normal delivery.