Labor Pain
Conditions
Keywords
epidural, sensory block level, dermatome
Brief summary
Assessment of the upper sensory block level during neuraxial analgesia for labor and delivery is an essential component of clinical management and patient safety. A variety of methods have been used for testing the sensory block such as cold, light touch, sharp touch or prick and transcutaneous electrical stimulation. In addition to the diversity of methods, the endpoints used by investigators have also been variable, considering total or partial responses as endpoints. Not surprisingly, a variable sensory block level could be identified as a result of the different methods and types of question asked by the examiner. Another complicating factor is the lack of standardization of the direction of the testing as it relates to anesthetized and non-anesthetized areas. This lack of standardization may result in a difference of several dermatomes in the level that two different assessors might record for the same patient. Considering a clinical research scenario, it may be difficult to replicate results and implement clinical practices. The objective of this study is to determine the degree of agreement between two methods of assessing the sensory block level to cold in women receiving epidural analgesia for labor (anesthetized to non-anesthetized segments versus non-anesthetized to anesthetized segments).
Interventions
DIAGNOSTIC_TESTSensory block level check using ice
Patients are asked to report when the ice feels as cold as it does on the forehead.
Sponsors
Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to 55 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* patients who request and have no contraindications to receive epidural analgesia * capable of understanding and signing the written informed consent * have no language barrier to respond to the level of sensory block assessment * have no conditions that could compromise their sensitivity to cold.
Exclusion criteria
* patients who refuse to sign consent * epidural analgesia is contraindicated
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The lower sensory block level to cold | 1 hour | The sensory block level will be defined as: the dermatome at which and below which there is complete loss of sensation to cold |
| The upper sensory block level to cold | 1 hour | The sensory block level will be defined as: the dermatome at which and below which there is still partial sensation to cold |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Patient satisfaction | 20 minutes | Patients will be asked to report satisfaction with the test done from 0-10 (0=very uncomfortable 10=most comfortable |
| The lower sensory block level to cold | 2 hours | The sensory block level will be defined as: the dermatome at which and below which there is complete loss of sensation to cold |
| The upper sensory block level to cold | 2 hours | The sensory block level will be defined as: the dermatome at which and below which there is still partial sensation to cold |
Countries
Canada
Outcome results
None listed