Anesthetic Choices for Intrapartum Cesarean Delivery in Patients with Epidural Labor Analgesia

Greater than 60% of primary cesarean deliveries occur in laboring women (intrapartum cesarean delivery) [1]. The most common indications are failure to progress and nonreassuring fetal heart rate (FHR) tracing. Less common indications are umbilical cord prolapse, uterine rupture, and other obstetric emergencies. Some indications for cesarean delivery (eg, uterine rupture) require an immediate response—the decision to delivery time should be as short as safely possible with a correspondingly short time of induction of anesthesia.