Purpose of review: This review will present recent updates for the use of non-neuraxial analgesia for laboring women.
Recent findings: Non-neuraxial labor analgesia by nitrous oxide and intravenous opioids are described, and safety concerns with regard to remifentanil administration have been a major focus of recent studies. Fentanyl and nitrous oxide offer some efficacy, albeit less than remifentanil, however with a greater safety margin.
Summary: Women may request or require alternatives to neuraxial labor analgesia, in some cases due to concurrent comorbidities. Remifentanil offers the most efficacious alternative analgesia option; however, safety concerns may preclude widespread use.
Keywords: Analgesia; Epidural; Labor; Non-neuraxial; Remifentanil; Safety.
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2021.