A comparison of the analgesic effects of methoxyflurane-nitrous oxide and nitrous oxide alone during labour related to the Eysenck personality inventory test.

One hundred and thirty-three paturients who had received either methoxyflurane-nitrous oxide or nitrous oxide analgesia with or without pudendal block, underwent the Eysenck Personality Inventory Test on the second postpartum day and evaluated their memory of the pain (Subjectively Evaluated Pain Suffering Scores) during labor. Parturients who had received methoxyflurance-nitrous oxide analgesia reported significantly lower pain suffering than parturients who had had nitrous oxide analgesia. Subdivision according to Personality Inventory factors showed that at the introvert end of the Extroversion-Introversion scale, methoxyflurance-nitrous oxide analgesia with or without additional pudendal block resulted in significantly lower pain suffering than did not nitrous oxide analgesia. On the other hand, nitrous oxide analgesia without additional pudendal block gave significantly lower pain suffering at the extrovert end of the scale. Among the extroverts there was a tendency, though not statistically significant, towards non-approval of the pudendal block.