The Use of Electrical Stimulation for Determination of Epidural Catheter Placement
Stanford University
Summary
The aim of this study is to address the problem of epidural failure. The investigators theorize epidural failure can be due to inappropriate catheter movement and this may be related to the length of which the epidural catheter is inserted. The investigators will use electrical stimulation to determine if the catheter moved in the sacral direction with insertion.
Description
The research participants will be pregnant women in Labor and Delivery ward of Stanford University hospital who request an epidural for labor analgesia. In this study the patients will receive an epidural catheter in the same way as standard of care. The catheter will be inserted to 20cm and then electrically stimulated to document where it is placed by looking at the muscles effected. The catheter is then pulled back in 5cm increments and stimulated until the standard distance is achieved. For example, if loss of resistance happened at 5cm, the catheter would be inserted to 20cm, stimulated,…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–40 years
- Sex
- Female
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Pregnant female requesting epidural for labor analgesia. * Must meet standard inclusion criteria for safe epidural placement. * Platelet count over 70,000, INR under 1.3. Exclusion Criteria: * Unable to safely place epidural catheter due to commonly accepted patient factors.
Interventions
- Diagnostic TestElectrical Epidural Stimulation Test
Electrical stimulation test measures sensory/motor responses
Location
- Lucile Packard Childrens HospitalStanford, California