en Anesthesia Anesthesia Original Research: Clinical Science Original Research: Clinical Science Our purpose was to determine the effect of epidural analgesia on nulliparous labor and delivery. Nonnal term nulliparous women in spontaneous labor were divided into two groups in a quazi-experimental study, 100 in each group. The first group received epidural analgesia and the second had no analgesia at all. In the first group, an epidural catheter was placed in 3-4 cm cervical dilatation and the first dose of lidocaine 1 % was injected in 5-cm cervical dilatation. The next doses were injected according to certain criteria. Then data were collected and analyzed by EPI-6. There was no significant difference in cesarean rate in both groups (10% in the first group vs. 5% in the second one, p>O.l0) including cesarean for dystocia and fetal distress. Also, there was no significant difference in the variable of spontaneous vaginal delivery between both groups (89% in the first group vs. 94% in the second one, p>0.10). Occurrence of instrumental vaginal delivery was the same in both groups, no forceps, and one vacuum-assisted in each group. Also there was no significant difference in the second stage of labor between the groups (less than 1 hour: 79% in the first group vs. 81 % in the second group, p>O.1 0 more than 1 hour: 11 % in the first group vs. 14% in the second group, p>0.10). Epidural analgesia results in no significant difference in the course of labor and delivery in normal term nulliparous women and is a safe method of pain relief in these patients. Analgesia, Epidural/Analgesia, Obstetrical/Labor, Nulliparous. 243 246 http://mjiri.iums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-298-57&slc_lang=en&sid=1 SM AMINI 200319475328460016026 200319475328460016026 No From the Department of Anesthesiology. Hamadan University o/Medical Sciences, Hamadall, Islamic H KIMIAE-ASADI 200319475328460016027 200319475328460016027 Yes Ihe Departll/ent ofAnesrhesiology. Hall/adan University o/Medical Sciences, Hall/adall, Islamic KH MANI-KASHANI 200319475328460016028 200319475328460016028 No Ihe Departll/ent ofAnesrhesiology. Hall/adan University o/Medical Sciences, Hall/adall, Islamic