Failing Epidural Analgesia During Labor (FEA25)

March 12, 2026 updated by: Nicolas Brogly

Analysis of the Incidence and Risk Factors of Epidural Analgesia Failure During Labor: A Prospective Multicenter Observational Study

This prospective multicenter observational study is being conducted at the Gregorio Marañón University General Hospital and the La Paz University Hospital in Madrid, Spain. The recruitment period began on January 12, 2026, and will continue until February 12, 2027. Patients over 18 years of age requesting epidural analgesia for labor are included. Exclusion criteria are: age under 18; stillbirth; continuous spinal anesthesia; refusal to participate in the study. The primary objective of the study is to calculate the incidence of epidural analgesia failure during labor. Secondary objectives are: identification of potential risk factors for epidural analgesia failure; failure of epidural anesthesia for emergency cesarean birth; maternal postpartum recovery at 24 and 48 hours using the Spanish-validated version of ObsQoR-10 questionnaire.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

500

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 Backup

Study Locations

  • Spain
      • Madrid, Spain, 28007
      • Madrid, Spain
        • Not yet recruiting
        • Hospital Universitario La Paz
        • Contact:

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Probability Sample

Study Population

Cohort of consecutive consenting patients admitted in the labor ward for delivery of two tertiary university hospitals in Madrid-Spain for a period of 1 month, which each center chooses throughout 2026.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Parturient who requests epidural analgesia for labor

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Age under 18 years
  • Stillbirth
  • Continuous spinal anesthesia
  • Refusal to participate

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
Intervention / Treatment
Labor Epidural Analgesia

Inclusion criteria: all consecutive patients in labor who request epidural analgesia for labor analgesia in the period of recruitment.

Exclusion criteria: parturient age under 18 years; stillbirth; continuous spinal anesthesia; refusal to participate
Other: No Intervention: Observational Cohort
No intervention: observational study

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Failed epidural analgesia during labor
Time Frame: All duration of labour (from admission to labour ward until delivery) in patients with an initial adequate pain relief after epidural analgesia initiation.
Persistence of pain 20 minutes after one top-up bolus of local anesthetic administered by the anesthesiologist, in a previously working epidural analgesia.
All duration of labour (from admission to labour ward until delivery) in patients with an initial adequate pain relief after epidural analgesia initiation.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Failed onset of epidural block
Time Frame: An incomplete or inefficient block 30 minutes after initiation of epidural analgesia will be considered as a failed onset.
Absence or insufficient epidural block in level and/or density in the first 30 minutes after the administration of the induction bolus.
An incomplete or inefficient block 30 minutes after initiation of epidural analgesia will be considered as a failed onset.
Failed conversion of epidural analgesia to anesthesia for intrapartum cesarean birth
Time Frame: In subpopulation of patients with an intrapartum cesarean delivery, failed conversion will be considered for any requirement for intravenous supplementation or general anaesthesia during caesarean delivery.
Requirement for a new regional block, intravenous supplementation or general anesthesia for an intrapartum cesarean birth in a patient with labor epidural analgesia.
In subpopulation of patients with an intrapartum cesarean delivery, failed conversion will be considered for any requirement for intravenous supplementation or general anaesthesia during caesarean delivery.
Maternal recovery until 48h postpartum
Time Frame: On postpartum day 1 (24h after delivery) and day 2 (48h after delivery), during post-partum anaesthesia visit, the participants will answer the 10-Items Obstetric Quality of Recovery scoring tool (ObsQoR-10).

Measurement of maternal recovery at 24 and 48 hours postpartum using the Spanish-validated version of 10-Items Obstetric Quality of Recovery scoring tool (ObsQoR-10).

This 0-100 points score includes:

  • 4 items concerning postpartum side effects, rated from 0 to 10, with higher scores corresponding to lower intensity of side effects,
  • 6 items concerning postpartum recovery variables, rated from 0 to 10, with higher scores corresponding to better postpartum recovery.
On postpartum day 1 (24h after delivery) and day 2 (48h after delivery), during post-partum anaesthesia visit, the participants will answer the 10-Items Obstetric Quality of Recovery scoring tool (ObsQoR-10).

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Nicolas Brogly

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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)

January 12, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

July 12, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

February 12, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 24, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 12, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

March 16, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 16, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 12, 2026

Last Verified

March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • FEA25
  • Contract # 25/26 (Other Identifier: FUNDACIÓN PARA LA INVESTIGACIÓN BIOMÉDICA HOSPITAL GREGORIO MARAÑÓN)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

This was not considered in the design of the research.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

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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