Nitrous Oxide use may come back to the US for labor pain management!!

[klone, MSN, RN]

[h=2]Nitrous oxide returns for labor pain management[/h]

or much of the past decade, most pregnant women in the United States have not had access to nitrous oxide for analgesia during labor because the only company that sold a nitrous oxide machine for obstetrics in this country stopped making it.

This year, though, "laughing gas" for labor pain is back.

The Nitronox system delivers a fixed mixture of 50% oxygen and 50% nitrous oxide that is safe, effective, inexpensive, simple, and popular with many laboring women, said Judith T. Bishop, C.N.M., M.P.H.

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

Awesome! I've heard about the use of nitrous oxide at UCSF and always wondered what the heck the hold up was for the rest of the country. I'm about to start working as a CNM at an inner city hospital in NYC, with a lot of Hispanic patients who don't want epidurals, but usually end up getting them because the only other option is IV demerol, which in my opinion, sucks. I would love to see this catch on in the U.S.!!!!!

[benegesserit]

Wonderful! It sounds like such a good option from what I've heard from people in other countries. Low risk, may help enough that women don't feel the need for more risky and mobility-limiting options, and while not everyone likes it, it's instantly reversible - just take the mask off. I had no idea that it wasn't used only because no one made the machine!

[KCMnurse, BSN, MSN, RN]

About time this was resolved. We used it in England, self administered and very safe. I am sure once it is widely available women will prefer it over other more debilitating forms of pain relief.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

We use it in our pediatric hospital for procedures.

[klone, MSN, RN]

We use it in our pediatric hospital for procedures.

And most dentist's offices use it for procedures as well. But it hasn't been available in the US as a labor analgesic for many years.

[DoGoodThenGo]

Asked about NO after an episode of Call the Midwives where it was just shown as being introduced and the moms in labour took to it hogs to slop. *LOL*

Apparently NO is still used for both home and hospital births all over the UK and elsewhere, it is only in the USA where the practice has been largely dropped.

[DoGoodThenGo]

And most dentist's offices use it for procedures as well. But it hasn't been available in the US as a labor analgesic for many years.

Cannot speak for everywhere but here in NYC it is rare to find dentists that use NO, has been for years now. Best you get are "numbing shots" and then Vicodian afterwards. Some places will offer IV sedation for serious oral surgery but not NO.

Had all four wisdom teeth pulled without a whiff of NO to be had.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Great stuff.....however.....Nitrous oxide is N2O.....

Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, is a chemical compound with the formula N2O. It is an oxide of nitrogen. At room temperature, it is a colourless, non-flammable gas, with a slightly sweet odor and taste. It is used in surgery and dentistry for its anaesthetic and analgesic effects. Not to be confused with nitric oxide (formula NO) or nitrogen dioxide (formula NO₂).

[klone, MSN, RN]

Cannot speak for everywhere but here in NYC it is rare to find dentists that use NO, has been for years now. Best you get are "numbing shots" and then Vicodian afterwards. Some places will offer IV sedation for serious oral surgery but not NO.

Had all four wisdom teeth pulled without a whiff of NO to be had.

It's pretty common with pediatric dentistry practices, in the three different states I've lived in. I would not take young children to have caries repaired to any place that doesn't offer NO at the very least.

When I had my wisdom teeth removed, it was done under conscious sedation, which was pretty common (20 years ago).

But anyway, we're kind of straying from my OP, which was just to proclaim joy at the fact that they appear to be bringing back for women in labor.

[DoGoodThenGo]

Remember reading somewhere the one of the problems with brigning N20 back in any widespread use for the Untied States is that supplies aren't that plentiful.

[Katie71275]

I'm a new L&D nurse, so not very knowledgeable yet, but sounds like a good option. How well does the pain relief compare with an epidural and other methods? Would it make moms loopy or would they be aware? I had narcotics during my last delivery and will never do it again. Not only did it make me feel loopy, and sick it bottomed out my BP so it would be good to have another alternative, esp one that is noninvasive.