Article in Daily Mail Health section from Tuesday 23 November 2010 - still available to read on internet. (Yes, I know, Daily Mail!!)
A new high-resolution ultra-sound has been researched in Canada which showed a successfull insertion rate of 91.8%. The first hospital in GB to use it is Ninewells Medical school in Dundee.
Apparently the failure of an epidural is a one of the factors leading to an increase in the number of women requesting a CS for their second birth. According to the Birth Trauma Assoc around 150,000 (a quarter of new Mothers) don't get the pain relief they need during labour (I find this a shocking statistic).
One reason given for the failure of epidurals is the lack of expetise of the anaesthetist. In many NHS hosspitals it is a junior anaethetist rather than a specialist obstetric anaesthetist doing the epidurals - the specialists are working in the theatres.
It is also difficult to insert an epidural if the patient is obese (15% of women are obese at their first antenatal appt).
However, even the most experienced anaesthetist can have problems if the women cannot keep still having left it too long to have an epidural or have been encouraged not to have one in case it slows labour.
So, given the cuts how long will it be before this new technology is available at all maternity units? Surely this should be a huge financial saving if it leads to a reduction in C Sections but more importantly that women get the pain relief they need.
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Childbirth
Failed Epidurals - new technology
58 replies
gailforce1 · 29/11/2010 16:54
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