International journal of obstetric anesthesia
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Int J Obstet Anesth · May 2019
Increasing body mass index and abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness are associated with increased skin-to-epidural space distance in pregnant women.
Body mass index does not indicate the distribution of adipose tissue. Central adiposity may be measured using ultrasound measurement of subcutaneous fat thickness. This study determined if the abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness measured correlated with skin-to-epidural space distance at delivery, and compared this with the booking body mass index. ⋯ Booking body mass index had a stronger relationship with skin-to- epidural space distance at delivery than subcutaneous fat thickness, explaining 47% of the variation in the skin-to-epidural distance.
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Int J Obstet Anesth · May 2019
Randomized Controlled TrialUltrasound guided L5-S1 placement of labor epidural does not improve dermatomal block in parturients.
Based on their experience or training, anesthesiologists typically use the iliac crest as a landmark to choose the L3-4 or L2-3 interspace for labor epidural catheter placement. There is no evidence-based recommendation to guide the exact placement. We hypothesized that lower placement of the catheter would lead to a higher incidence of S2 dermatomal block and improved analgesia in late labor and at delivery. ⋯ Placement of an epidural catheter at the L5-S1 interspace using ultrasound did not improve sacral sensory block coverage when compared with an epidural catheter placed at a higher lumbar interspace, without using ultrasound guidance.
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The Gerard W. Ostheimer lecture is delivered every year at the annual meeting of the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology. The lecture aims to provide the anesthesiologist who provides obstetric anesthesia care with a review of the most relevant articles that were published in the preceding calendar year. This article highlights the literature published in 2017 related to maternal mortality, maternal cardiac arrest, cesarean delivery and labor analgesia.
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Int J Obstet Anesth · May 2019
Massive hemorrhage protocol activation in obstetrics: a 5-year quality performance review.
A structured approach to hemorrhagic emergencies in obstetrics has gained popularity with the implementation of massive hemorrhage protocols. The trauma literature suggests that routine quality reviews should be in place to improve patient outcomes. The aim of this study was to develop quality indicators and assess compliance by the clinical team. ⋯ Suboptimal compliance was found in multiple areas, which may be attributable to the low frequency of activation of our massive haemorrhage protocol in obstetrics. The quality targets identified in this report can act as a basis for other institutions developing quality indicators to evaluate performance.
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Int J Obstet Anesth · May 2019
Case ReportsSyncope after administration of epidural analgesia in an obstetric patient with a vagus nerve stimulator.
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an adjunctive therapy for medically refractory epilepsy and depression. Vagus nerve stimulation is generally well-tolerated, but cardiac arrhythmias or asystole are rare complications that have been reported. ⋯ These resolved after deactivating the device. This is the first report of a suspected arrhythmia during VNS in the setting of epidural analgesia.