Ultrasound increases the success rate of spinal needle placement through the epidural needle during combined spinal-epidural anaesthesia: A randomised controlled study

BACKGROUND Combined spinal-epidural anaesthesia (CSEA) using a needle-through-needle technique is currently widely used. However, successful epidural needle placement does not mean a successful spinal needle placement during CSEA. Whether ultrasound assistance could increase the first-pass success rate of spinal needle placement for CSEA remains unknown. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate if ultrasound assistance could increase the first-pass success rate of spinal needle placement through the epidural needle during CSEA performed by experienced anaesthesiologists in patients undergoing caesarean section. DESIGN A prospective, randomised, double-blind study. SETTING Single centre, Department of Anaesthesiology, Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University, China, from June 2019 to September 2019. PATIENTS A total of 185 patients (aged 24 years to 52 years, American Society of Anesthesiologists grade (ASA) II-III, 38 to 40 weeks gestation) scheduled to undergo elective caesarean section under CSEA were enrolled. INTERVENTION The patients were randomised to either an ultrasound group (patients received a preprocedural ultrasound scan, and the puncture site was identified by ultrasound imaging) and a palpation group (patients received a sham procedural ultrasound scan, and the puncture site was identified by conventional palpation). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome measure was the first-pass success rate for ...
Source: European Journal of Anaesthesiology - Category: Anesthesiology Tags: Regional and neuraxial anaesthesia Source Type: research