Gravity Flow Technique to Validate Proper Location of Epidural Needle Tip

November 13, 2019 updated by: NYU Langone Health

Epidural analgesia for childbirth may fail to provide adequate pain relief. At NYULMC, to maximize the likelihood that epidural analgesia will work well, the gravity flow technique is used when performing epidural procedures.

The gravity flow technique is not well known, and is therefore used in only a few hospitals. The purpose of this study is to quantify the reliability of the gravity flow technique to accurately validate the position of the epidural needle tip when performing lumbar epidural analgesia in laboring women.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The purpose of this study is to quantify the reliability of the gravity flow technique to accurately validate the position of the epidural needle tip when performing lumbar epidural analgesia in laboring women. This gravity flow technique was first described 26 years ago in 1991, and has been at NYU Langone for 15 years, since 2002. The technique has not been formally studied and this study is designed to enable assessment of the success rate of the gravity flow technique.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

100

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Locations

  • United States
    • New York
      • New York, New York, United States, 10016
        • New York University School of Medicine

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 49 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients requesting epidural analgesia for labor
  • ASA physical status I to II
  • Ability to speak and read English to fully comprehend the consent process

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Combined spinal-epidural anesthesia
  • Coagulopathy
  • History of lumbar spine surgery
  • Allergy or contraindication to any of the study medications
  • Contraindication to epidural analgesia
  • ASA physical status >III

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

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Cold Stimulus
The study procedure will beto use a coldstimulus (ice) to assess the subjects for hypesthesia the dermatomes of the lower abdomen at 15 minutes and if necessary at 30 minutes after the epidural is inserted
Diagnostic test: Cold Stimulus (ice) Test
Standard of care epidural will be inserted. The study procedure will be to use a cold stimulus (ice) to assess the subjects for hypesthesia the dermatomes of the lower abdomen at 15 minutes and if necessary at 30 minutes after the epidural is inserted. Hypesthesia to cold will be taken a sign of successful lumbar epidural block.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Accurate validation of the position of the epidural needle tip whenperforming lumbar epidural analgesia in laboring women.
Time Frame: 30 Minutes post intervention
Success will be defined as a bilateral decrease of sensation (hypesthesia) to cold and ice in at least 2 adjacent dermatomes between T8 and L2
30 Minutes post intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

NYU Langone Health

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Gilbert Grant, NYU Langone Health

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)

September 20, 2017

Primary Completion (Actual)

February 5, 2018

Study Completion (Actual)

February 5, 2018

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 17, 2017

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 20, 2017

First Posted (Actual)

October 23, 2017

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 14, 2019

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 13, 2019

Last Verified

November 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 17-00975

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.

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