Epidural placement is a commonly used procedure for pain management during labor, delivery, and surgeries. However, epidural placement is often considered a technically challenging and complex procedure that requires a high level of skill and experience. In cases where the epidural is improperly placed or fails to produce effective analgesia, the discomfort and distress experienced by the patient may be heightened. Hence, the use of predictors, such as sonographic ones, may prove to be a valuable tool for healthcare professionals in the placement of epidurals, ultimately ensuring successful pain management for patients. The present study aims to identify predictors of difficult epidural placement in patients undergoing surgery.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Several data will be collected such as: Age, weight, height, gender, previous spine surgery, skoliosis (Y/N), palpable spinous process (Y/N), experience in years of anesthesiologist, spine level of epidural placement and the following sonographic parameters at the level of epidural placement: skin-spinous process distance (cm), skin-transversous process distance (cm), erector spinae plane distance (cm), superior to inferior spinous process distance (cm)
University Hospital of Padova
Padua, Veneto, Italy
Incidence of difficult epidural placement
Described as the requirement to replace the needle by fully removing it from the skin.
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 2 year
Total body weight (kg) as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
Total body weight (kg) as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 2 year
Age (years) as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
Age (years) as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 2 year
Height (cm) as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
Height (cm) as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 2 year
Palpable spinous process (well, not well, not palpable) as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
Palpable spinous process (well, not well, not palpable) as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 2 year
Previous spine surgery (yes, no) as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
Previous spine surgery (yes, no) as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 2 year
Anesthesiology experience (years) as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
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Anesthesiology experience (years) as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 2 year
Sonographic skin to spinous process distance(cm) as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
Sonographic skin to spinous process distance (cm) as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 2 year
Sonographic spinous process to spinous process distance (cm)as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
Sonographic spinous process to spinous process distance (cm)as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 2 year
Sonographic skin to transverse process distance (cm) as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
Sonographic skin to transverse process distance (cm) as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 2 year
Sonographic erector spine muscle group size (cm) as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
Sonographic erector spine muscle group size (cm) as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
Time frame: through study completion, an average of 2 year