Single-dose intrathecal analgesia to control labour pain: is it a useful alternative to epidural analgesia?

To examine the safety and efficacy of single-dose spinal analgesia (intrathecal narcotics [ITN]) during labour.MEDLINE was searched and the references of 2 systematic reviews and a meta-analysis were reviewed to find articles on obstetric analgesia and pain measurement. The 33 articles selected included 14 studies, 1 meta-analysis, and 2 systematic reviews, all providing level I evidence.The literature supports use of ITN as a safe and effective...