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Abstract Inadequate postoperative pain control in obstetric patients can significantly impact the well being of mothers and newborns in the immediate postpartum period. Uncontrolled pain can impair functions such as ambulation, dietary intake and respiration, and lead to possible complications such as thromboembolism, ileus, atelectasis, and pneumonia. In addition, inadequate pain control can also negatively impact the normal development of infants by affecting nursing activities such as breastfeeding. In this work we aimed to discuss methods of post cesarean section pain relief with special attention to new techniques like TAP block. Starting with PCIA, its advantages are that it reduces the peaks and valleys in blood drug concentrations and pain relief and in part by bypassing the patient-nurse-injection loop. Pain relief with PCIA has been shown to be superior to conventional IM opioids for pain relief in women having had a cesarean delivery. The most significant limitations to the use of PCIA in postpartum women relate to the device itself and patient ability to use it correctly. The latter requires patient education and implies that the patient will understand and follow through with directions required to use demand mode PCIA effectively. The device itself has an added cost over the use of conventionally administered opioids. Another limitation of PCIA is that some devices may be cumbersome and women may find it difficult to ambulate and care for their infant. Nonetheless, PCIA has emerged as a popular modality for post-cesarean delivery pain. It has been almost 25 years since neuraxial opioids first underwent rigorous clinical study for use in humans. Since that time, neuraxial Summary 79 techniques of providing post-cesarean delivery analgesia have become a logical outgrowth of the increased use of regional anesthesia for the procedure. Addition of opioid, like morphine, to intrathecal and/or epidurally administered local anesthetic provides an easy and effective means to maintain prolonged postoperative analgesia. Neuraxial techniques may be used for post cesarean delivery pain relief even in women having general anesthesia, if they so desire, once they are awake. Adverse effects of intrathecal opioids have been reported widely and include pruritus, nausea and vomiting, urinary retention, and early or delayed respiratory depression. Pruritus may be the most frequent and bothersome side effect. Adjuvants such as NSAIDs, α2-agonists, and anticholinergics, may play a significant role in enhancing the analgesic efficacy of traditional parenteral or neuraxial opioid-based techniques after cesarean delivery while at the same time decreasing the potential for side effects by reducing opioid requirements. Improving the quality and safety of neuraxial technique is enhanced by the use of ultrasound guidance. The transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is a newly described peripheral block involving the nerves of the anterior abdominal wall. The initial technique described the lumbar triangle of Petit as the landmark used to access the TAP in order to facilitate the deposition of local anaesthetic solution in the neurovascular plane. Many clinical trials that have been made on TAP block demonstrated clinically significant reductions of post-operative opioid requirements and pain, as well as some effects on opioid-related side effects (sedation and post-operative nausea and vomiting). |