Epidural analgesia for childbirth may fail to provide adequate pain relief. At NYULMC, to maximize the likelihood that epidural analgesia will work well, the gravity flow technique is used when performing epidural procedures. The gravity flow technique is not well known, and is therefore used in only a few hospitals. The purpose of this study is to quantify the reliability of the gravity flow technique to accurately validate the position of the epidural needle tip when performing lumbar epidural analgesia in laboring women.
The purpose of this study is to quantify the reliability of the gravity flow technique to accurately validate the position of the epidural needle tip when performing lumbar epidural analgesia in laboring women. This gravity flow technique was first described 26 years ago in 1991, and has been at NYU Langone for 15 years, since 2002. The technique has not been formally studied and this study is designed to enable assessment of the success rate of the gravity flow technique.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
100
Standard of care epidural will be inserted. The study procedure will be to use a cold stimulus (ice) to assess the subjects for hypesthesia the dermatomes of the lower abdomen at 15 minutes and if necessary at 30 minutes after the epidural is inserted. Hypesthesia to cold will be taken a sign of successful lumbar epidural block.
New York University School of Medicine
New York, New York, United States
Accurate validation of the position of the epidural needle tip whenperforming lumbar epidural analgesia in laboring women.
Success will be defined as a bilateral decrease of sensation (hypesthesia) to cold and ice in at least 2 adjacent dermatomes between T8 and L2
Time frame: 30 Minutes post intervention
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