Sonographic Predictors of Difficult Epidural Placement. (PREC-EPI)

March 24, 2025 updated by: Alessandro De Cassai, University of Padova

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 Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Withdrawn

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Italy
    • Veneto
      • Padova, Veneto, Italy, 35127
        • University Hospital of Padova

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Probability Sample

Study Population

All adult patients undergoing surgery with epidural analgesia or anesthesia

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Surgery with epidural placement
  • Age > 18 years

Exclusion Criteria:

  • patient refusal

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Epidural placement
All patients undergoing epidural placement will be enrolled.
Other: Data collection

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)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Incidence of difficult epidural placement
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 2 year
Described as the requirement to replace the needle by fully removing it from the skin.
through study completion, an average of 2 year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Total body weight (kg) as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 2 year
Total body weight (kg) as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
through study completion, an average of 2 year
Age (years) 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
through study completion, an average of 2 year
Height (cm) 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
through study completion, an average of 2 year
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
Palpable spinous process (well, not well, not palpable) as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
through study completion, an average of 2 year
Previous spine surgery (yes, no) 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
through study completion, an average of 2 year
Anesthesiology experience (years) 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
through study completion, an average of 2 year
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 skin to spinous process distance (cm) as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
through study completion, an average of 2 year
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 spinous process to spinous process distance (cm)as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
through study completion, an average of 2 year
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 skin to transverse process distance (cm) as predictive parameter for difficult epidural placement
through study completion, an average of 2 year
Sonographic erector spine muscle group size (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
through study completion, an average of 2 year

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Padova

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
August 14, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
August 14, 2023

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 14, 2023

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 29, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 29, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 7, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 28, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 24, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • PREC-EPI

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

IPD Plan Description

Data could be shared after ethical committee clearence and on a reasonable request

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Anesthesia

Clinical Trials on Data collection

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings