An attempt is being made to see if by injecting a set volume of sterile saline into the epidural space during the treatment of labor pain with a combined spinal/epidural (CSE) increases the amount of pain relief obtained and makes the labor analgesia lasts longer. Subjects are in the study from the time their CSE is placed until they request additional pain medication from the spinal dose of numbing medicine wearing off.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
82
at time of epidural needle placement there will not be any saline injected into the epidural space prior to placement of the spinal needle to administer the CSE dose of standard analgesic medications. Instead a pause will be done as by the investigator to maintain blind for the assessor.
After the epidural needle is placed, 15 mls of sterile normal saline will be injected into the epidural space, then the spinal needle will be placed to administer the CSE dose of standard analgesic medications.
Forsyth Medical Center-Sara Lee Center for Women's Health
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
Highest Sensory Blockade Level to Pinprick and to Cold
Onset of analgesia to recession of analgesia. Highest spread of analgesia (highest sensory level) to cold temp and pinprick, with level defined from T1 to L5, where T1 is highest =level 17 and L5 is lowest =Level 1)
Time frame: up to 20 minutes
Duration of Analgesia (Time to Request Additional Analgesia)
time of CSE to time request of additional supplement analgesia in minutes
Time frame: up 120 minutes
Onset of Analgesia
time to VAS\</=3 on a 0-10 scale with 0=no pain up to 10= worst pain imaginable
Time frame: up to 20 minutes
Time to Highest Sensory Block
Time frame: up to 20 minutes
Number of Participants Who Had Occurrence of Fetal Bradycardia
occurrence of common side effects of spinal/epidural administration
Time frame: length of labor, up to 24 hours
Number of Participants Who Had Occurrence of Maternal Hypotension
Time frame: length of labor, up to 24 hours
Occurrence of Use of Vasopressors
Time frame: length of labor, up to 24 hours
Number of Participants Who Had Occurrence of Itching
Time frame: length of labor, up to 24 hours
Number of Participants Who Had Occurrence of Post Dural Puncture Headache
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Time frame: length of labor, up to 24 hours
Time for 2 Dermatome Level Regression of Sensory Block
Time frame: up to 20 minutes
Time for Regression of Motor Blockade
Time frame: up to 20 minutes