Spinal Anesthesia Administration Clinical Trial
Official title:
Does Ultrasound Guidance Improve Time to Perform a Spinal or Number of Attempts in Obese Patients? A Randomized Controlled Study.
Spinal anesthesia depends on being able to locate physical landmarks on a patient's body. In
obese patients, the commonly used landmarks may be difficult or even impossible to feel. In
addition, the spine can be hidden beneath a layer of fatty tissue.
Ultrasound is useful for finding the correct injection site in pregnant patients, but the
usefulness of ultrasound has not been adequately evaluated in non-pregnant patients. The
potential benefits for obese patients from the use of ultrasound include shortening the
duration of the procedure, increasing patient comfort, decreasing the total number of
attempts, and aiding in the choice of appropriate needle length for the patient.
The investigators hypothesize that there is no difference in time to perform a spinal
anesthetic when landmarking with ultrasound as compared to tactile landmarking in patients
with BMI > 35.
n/a
Allocation: Randomized, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Supportive Care