Poke and a Placebo

University of Minnesota30 enrolled

Overview

To discover if a positive description of the procedure for an epidural can reduce the overall pain score associated with the procedure.

The study intervention consists of two separate scripts read to the patient by the anesthesiologist performing their labor epidural. One script will contain the wording "Poke and a burn" prior to subcutaneous local anesthetic administration for the epidural placement and one will contain "this is numbing medication, which will make the rest of the procedure go easier". There will be no difference in the epidural placement, medications, or the rest of the script.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Anesthesia

Interventions

Negative Connotation LangaugeBEHAVIORAL

The study intervention consists of two separate scripts read to the patient by the anesthesiologist performing their labor epidural. The control script includes language containing the wording "Poke and a burn" said prior to numbing medication for the epidural procedure. There will be no difference in the epidural placement, medications, or the rest of the script.

Positive Connotation LanguageBEHAVIORAL

The study intervention consists of two separate scripts read to the patient by the anesthesiologist performing their labor epidural. The experimental script includes language containing the wording "this is numbing medication, which will make the rest of the procedure go easier" said prior to numbing medication for the epidural procedure. There will be no difference in the epidural placement, medications, or the rest of the script.

Eligibility

Sex: FEMALEMin age: 18 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * pregnancy * requesting an epidural for the first time Exclusion Criteria: * previous epidural (either for labor or for surgery) * BMI greater than 40 kg/m\^2 * previous lumbar spine surgery * inability to speak English * a history of chronic pain or are on chronic opioids * a history of opioid drug abuse

Locations (1)

University of Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

RECRUITING

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Max pain score during the epidural procedure

Maximum pain score will be measured using a single 11-point Numeric Rating Scale 0-10, where 0 is no pain and 10 is maximum imaginable pain.

Time frame: 1 hour

Secondary Outcomes

Overall satisfaction during the epidural procedure

Overall satisfaction during the epidural procedure will be measured used a 5-point likert scale: 5=very satisfied, 4=satisfied, 3=neither satisfied or dissatisfied, 2=dissatisfied, 1=very dissatisfied.

Time frame: 1 hour

Central Contacts

Aaron Berg, MD

CONTACT

612-624-9990 bergx831@umn.edu

Jonah Pearson, MD

CONTACT

612-625-6659 pears731@umn.edu

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.