Paravertebral block for labor analgesia in a parturient with idiopathic thrombocytopenia

A parturient with idiopathic thrombocytopenia received labor analgesia with bilateral paravertebral blocks, because epidural analgesia was contraindicated due to her low platelet count (69,000·μl^-1) even after intravenous administration of freeze-dried sulfonated human normal globulin (400 mg·kg^-1·day^-1) and transfusion of platelet (20 units·day^-1). In spite of predonisolone (1 mg·kg^-1·day^-1) P.O., her platelet counts could not increase at early gestation period. Prior to the induction of the labor, two catheters were inserted into T 11 bilateral paravertebral spaces, then 0.2% ropivacaine 10 ml was administered in each side, followed by the infusion at 5 ml·hr^-1 each for the management of first stage of labor pain. Labor was induced with oxytocin infusion at 2.5-5. 0 mU·min^-1. As she requested additional analgesia in the second stage of labor, fentanyl 50 μg was administered twice intravenously. The labor course was uneventful with adequate analgesia, and the neonate (2,826 g) was vigorous with Apgar scores 9/10. Complications associated with this block such as hypotension, vascular or pleural punctures and pneumothorax were not seen. Bilateral paravertebral blocks may provide adequate analgesia as an alternative method for labor analgesia in a parturient with thrombocytopenia when conventional epidural analgesia is contraindicated.