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
Observational StudyDetermination of ChloraPrep® drying time before neuraxial anesthesia in elective cesarean delivery. A prospective observational study.
ChloraPrep® is a skin antiseptic commonly used before neuraxial anesthesia. It is believed that skin must be allowed to dry to prevent nerve damage by seeding ChloraPrep® solution into the neuraxis. We aimed to determine ChloraPrep® drying time in pregnant women before initiation of neuraxial anesthesia. ⋯ Our results suggest that ChloraPrep® drying time may be longer than the current manufacturer-recommended guideline of three minutes. The amount of ChloraPrep® used, application methods, patient characteristics, and environmental factors could influence the drying time.
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Int J Obstet Anesth · May 2019
ReviewTreatment of obstetric post-dural puncture headache. Part 1: conservative and pharmacological management.
The 2009-12 MBRRACE-UK report highlighted the deaths of two women in whom dural puncture had occurred during insertion of a labour epidural catheter. One woman received an epidural blood patch, the other did not, but both suffered with chronic headaches following discharge from hospital. Neither woman was adequately followed-up. ⋯ Surveys of clinical practice in the UK have revealed significant variation in anaesthetic practice in the management of obstetric post-dural puncture headache. To help provide guidance on treatment, the Obstetric Anaesthetists' Association set up a working group to review the literature and produce evidence-based guidelines for management of obstetric post-dural puncture headache. These guidelines have been condensed into two review articles, the first of which covers conservative and pharmacological treatment.
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Int J Obstet Anesth · May 2019
Observational StudyIncidence of respiratory depression after epidural administration of morphine for cesarean delivery: findings using a continuous respiratory rate monitoring system.
Epidural morphine is widely used for postoperative analgesia after cesarean delivery. However, respiratory depression can occur after neuraxial administration of morphine. Previous reports describing respiratory depression in obstetric patients have relied on intermittent visual counting of the respiratory rate. In this study, we estimated the incidence of respiratory depression in patients who had received epidural morphine after cesarean delivery, using a continuous respiratory rate monitoring system with a finger sensor. ⋯ Approximately half the women experienced mild respiratory depression, but only one developed moderate respiratory depression. Continuous respiratory rate monitoring until ambulation may assist in early identification of respiratory depression after neuraxial administration of morphine.
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Int J Obstet Anesth · May 2019
Observational StudyObservational study evaluating obstetric anesthesiologist residents' wellbeing, anxiety and stress in a North American academic program.
The obstetric work environment has a unique set of stressors that may be associated with burnout. We investigated how well-being during the obstetric anesthesia (ObA) rotation compared to other rotations; which workplace environment characteristics precipitated the greatest stress; and whether anxiety and stress levels changed in trainees before and after an ObA rotation. ⋯ We provide the first example of tools for assessing work environment stressors in ObA. Our study illustrates that beyond excessive workload, lack of fairness and community values are areas that impact physician well-being. Use of these tools can guide initiatives to address work environment concerns, and presents a need for a validated well-being instrument to gauge physician well-being, in order to create a cultural shift from burnout to one of well-being.