Obstetrical caudal anesthesia in a community hospital. A satisfactory plan.

The development of a program to provide complete anesthesia coverage for obstetrics in a community hospital was undertaken as a prospective project which emphasized continuous caudal techniques. Mutually acceptable guidelines were formulated by a group of anesthesiologists and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. A computerized study involving 3,500 labor patients was carried out to thoroughly evaluate the experience over 16 months. The data confirmed the feasibility, safety and wide acceptance of the program. Major complications were few and the anesthesia service to patients was excellent.