Do any U.S.A Labour and Delivery wards have Entanox available for Pain relief?

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Hi just about to start my first job in Labour and delivery in the USA, am a Midwife from the U.K. One of the first things I have noticed when shown around hospitals in the USA is that there is no entanox for pain relief. It is a staple pain relief in all hospitals in the uk . It is 50% oxygen and 50% nitrous oxide and is inhaled via a mouthpiece or face mask. No side effects helps the women breathe slow deep breathes and helps pain contraction by contraction also good for oxgenation of baby too. It is a great help to use it if an epidural is not 100% effective or if painkillers are wearing off. It is great for difficult Vag exams or for having an epidural sited. I have helped women to use it in the hundreds of births I have attended.

I personally used it as my only form of painrelief while in labour for both my kids. i had short sharp labours, of course I would have had more painrelief if i had had longer labours but entanox helped me focus and took away the out of control feelings of severe pain. I look back on labour experience as a wonderful thing I dont remember the pain at all .

Are there any hospitals at all that use Entanox? I looked that up on the internet and some people say that Entanox is not used in the USA because anaesthatists would not earn as much if they gave fewer epidurals. What do people think, is entanox being withheld here?

I just don't know, I haven't worked here yet but this subject intrigues me!!

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

In no hospital I have practiced nor heard of, do they use nitrous in the USA. If anyone here does, I would love to hear about your protocols. The nitrous here is mainly used for relaxation during unpleasant dental procedures.

Well I am shocked I have worked as midwife in the uk and will be starting work soon as a L&D RN. In the hospital I worked at in UK we had a 18% epidural rate and I woud say 97% used entanox majority using this as there only method of pain controll during child birth. Our birth rate is 2600 pa. I used it myelf during child birth it is really effective why is it not used in the US.

Specializes in L&D.

I have never heard of it but would like to hear more about it.

We use it, our epidural rate is pretty low too.

Not used in GA to my knowledge, much to my dismay when I was having my 2nd here as it was great with my 1st in the UK. The vast majority in the hospital I gave birth at have epidurals I was told, and that's a hospital having 18000 pa. No TENS either, although I don't know if that's still 'in' in the UK.

Where I work it's IV nubain or stadol, or an epidural. L&D was too much of a culture shock for me, I switched to postpartum.

I've done some reading on it and it's something I wish was available. I have no idea why it isn't. THe TENS units you can get yourself pretty easily (as a patient) and put it on in early labor

Thank you thank you for anwsering this question for me. I am usa nationality but british trained nurse and it is something I have wondered about for two years since my training but have never been able to find the answer. I was told by my grandmother that when she had her kids back in the 50's she used it. I do not know why they stopped I would be very curious to know.. I would not be shocked if it doesn't have something to do with taking away some of the control the doctors have over the women in labour. I never wanted to have kids because of the image the usa has given expected mothers one of fear!! However since I have lived in the UK I have changed my mind. Hopefully one day my other half will too. Thanks again for anwsering this.

Used it here in Canada during my second delivery. Didn't take the pain away and only gave me a "floating" feeling, almost out of body type, like I was watching the delivery. Not bad, not great but I was expecting some pain relief.

I'm a US trained labor and delivery nurse, but I lived in England for 6 years and my English mother-in-law was a midwife for 45 years. When I was going through nursing school, I had to do a paper on different reliefs of pain during labor and delivery. My mother-in-law very quickly informed me about Entanox. I did research on it, and although it is widely used in the UK, it is not used very often here...although, supposedly, more hospitals are integrating it into their systems. Our hospital does not use it. I always ask about it, because it's supposed to be a good relief of pain, it doesn't cross the placenta, and as soon as the woman stops inhaling it it's out of her system. I like the way it sounds!

I have always been told that it is a safety issue for health care providers. Without ventilation they would be inhaling it as well. I don't know how true this is or how the providers in England are able to deliver babies "under the influence" if that is the case ;) Sounds like a lame excuse to me, but the only one I have heard.

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I have always been told that it is a safety issue for health care providers. Without ventilation they would be inhaling it as well. I don't know how true this is or how the providers in England are able to deliver babies "under the influence" if that is the case ;) Sounds like a lame excuse to me, but the only one I have heard.

I practice in Canada and we use nitronox about 75% of the time at our facility. The patient either LOVES it, or throws the mask at their significant other! haha. Our Nitronox tanks are mixed with O2 to activate the Nitronox and they are also attached to the wall suction to take away the excess gas. Also, only when the patient breathes does the tank expel the Nitronox! None of us are "drunk" from the stuff when we deliver, or at least I don't think we are...:chuckle

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