Dural Puncture Epidural (DPE) Technique: Efficacy and Safety Overview.

Part of paid clinical trials in Columbus, Ohio.

Sponsor
Ohio State University
Study ID
NCT07704554
Status
Recruiting
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Conditions

  • Labor Pain

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
FEMALE
Age
18 Years - N/A
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Dural Puncture Epidural (DPE) Technique — PROCEDURE
    All eligible anesthesia care providers and laboring patients receiving the dural puncture epidural (DPE) technique as part of routine clinical care at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. Outcomes include epidural success/failure, procedural characteristics, and provider confidence.

Study Details

Neuraxial techniques such as lumbar epidural and combined spinal-epidural (CSE) are the most effective methods for labor analgesia and are associated with high patient satisfaction. However, standard epidurals can have failure rates and may be difficult to reliably confirm correct placement. The dural puncture epidural (DPE) technique has been introduced to improve confirmation of epidural placement and potentially enhance analgesia. It involves identifying the epidural space, puncturing the dura with a spinal needle without injecting medication, confirming cerebrospinal fluid flow, and then placing the epidural catheter. While DPE may improve analgesia and drug spread, current evidence is limited and does not clearly demonstrate superiority over standard epidural techniques. At The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, DPE is used routinely for labor epidurals. This observational study evaluates epidural failure rates and anesthesia provider confidence in performing DPE, while also collecting procedural details, patient characteristics, analgesic outcomes, and complications. Provider confidence is assessed using a 3-point scale along with factors influencing performance, and patient outcomes include pain relief, need for rescue dosing, and overall epidural effectiveness.

Key Dates

First listed
Jul 15, 2026
Start date
Oct 1, 2024
Status verified
Jun 2026
Primary completion
Jan 31, 2028
Completion
Jan 31, 2028

Study Design

Enrollment
150 participants (estimated)

Arms

  • Arm: Dural Puncture Epidural (DPE) Cohort
    All eligible anesthesia care providers and laboring patients receiving the dural puncture epidural (DPE) technique as part of routine clinical care at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. Outcomes include epidural success/failure, procedural characteristics, and provider confidence.

Primary Outcome Measure

Success rate of dural puncture epidural (DPE) technique (CSF backflow) [ Time Frame: During epidural placement procedure (at time of dural puncture) ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center HospitalsColumbusOhio43201
Goran Ristev

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The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Hospitals· Columbus, OH

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