Structured Abstract

Contents

• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Key Informants
• Technical Expert Panel
• Peer Reviewers
• Executive Summary
• Introduction
  • Background
  • Nitrous Oxide as a Labor Pain Management Option
  • Scope of This Report
  • Key Questions
  • Organization of This Evidence Report
  • Uses of This Report
• Methods
  • Technical Expert Panel
  • Analytic Framework for Nitrous Oxide for Labor Pain Management
  • Literature Review Methods
  • Literature Synthesis
• Results
  • KQ1 Effectiveness of Nitrous Oxide for Labor Pain Management
  • KQ2 Effect of Nitrous Oxide on Women's Satisfaction
  • KQ3 Effect of Nitrous Oxide on the Route of Birth
  • KQ4 Adverse Effects of Nitrous Oxide for Labor Pain Management
  • KQ5 Effects of Provider and Health System Factors
  • Grey Literature Search Results
• Discussion
  • State of the Literature
  • Strength of Evidence
  • Principal Findings and Considerations
  • Applicability
  • Future Research
  • Conclusions
• References and Included Studies
• Acronyms/Abbreviations/Symbols
• Appendix A Exact Search Strings and Results
• Appendix B Sample Data Abstraction Forms
• Appendix C Evidence Tables
• Appendix D Applicability and Quality Tables
• Appendix E Excluded Studies
• Appendix F Regulatory Considerations of Nitrous Oxide

Prepared for: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services¹, Contract No. 290-2007-10065-I. Prepared by: Vanderbilt Evidence-based Practice Center, Institute for Medicine and Public Health, Nashville, TN

Suggested citation:

Likis FE, Andrews JA, Collins MR, Lewis, RM, Seroogy JJ, Starr SA, Walden RR, McPheeters ML. Nitrous Oxide for the Management of Labor Pain. Comparative Effectiveness Review No. 67. (Prepared by the Vanderbilt Evidence-based Practice Center under Contract No. 290-2007-10065-I.) AHRQ Publication No. 12-EHC071-EF. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; August 2012. www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/reports/final.cfm.

This report is based on research conducted by the Vanderbilt Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) under contract to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Rockville, MD (Contract No. 290-2007-10065-I). The findings and conclusions in this document are those of the authors, who are responsible for its contents; the findings and conclusions do not necessarily represent the views of AHRQ. Therefore, no statement in this report should be construed as an official position of AHRQ or of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The information in this report is intended to help health care decisionmakers—patients and clinicians, health system leaders, and policymakers, among others—make well-informed decisions and thereby improve the quality of health care services. This report is not intended to be a substitute for the application of clinical judgment. Anyone who makes decisions concerning the provision of clinical care should consider this report in the same way as any medical reference and in conjunction with all other pertinent information, i.e., in the context of available resources and circumstances presented by individual patients.

This report may be used, in whole or in part, as the basis for development of clinical practice guidelines and other quality enhancement tools, or as a basis for reimbursement and coverage policies. AHRQ or U.S. Department of Health and Human Services endorsement of such derivative products may not be stated or implied.

None of the investigators have any affiliations or financial involvement that conflicts with the material presented in this report.

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