Overview
This is a randomized, open-label, single-center clinical trial. The purpose of the study is to understand whether the aid of ultrasound assessment is useful in improving the competence of resident.
Specifically, to demonstrate how the aid of echo-assistance in the evaluation of the spine increases the atraumatic success rate (primary objective) and reduces the number of complications (particularly, the number of attempts needed and the rate of dura puncture) (secondary objective) in physicians in specialty training.
Pregnant patients requiring peridural analgesia will be assigned to the intervention or control group by simple randomization.
Description
The use of echo-assisted assessment has been studied for about a decade, showing encouraging results as far as experienced medical personnel are concerned, but to date, a systematic study assessing the usefulness of this aid in improving residents' competence (as indicated by the 2019 systematic review) is lacking in the literature.
To date, echo-assisted assessment is not routinely applied to all obstetric patients, as it is a relatively new technique and not yet widely used by all anesthesiologists.
If the results of the study are positive,echo-assisted assessment use could be expanded, reducing the number of complications and increasing the number of atraumatic epidural catheter placements.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Pregnant patients >18 years of age with no BMI (Body Mass Index) limitation
- Pregnant patients requiring partoanalgesia
- Obtaining informed consent for study participation
Exclusion Criteria:
- Patients with contraindications to epidural catheter placement
- Endocranial hypertension
- Coagulopathies
- Severe thrombocytopenia < 75,000 per mm^3.