A Randomized, Controlled Trial of the Lidocaine Patch for Relief of Pain During Epidural Needle Insertion in Laboring Patients
A Randomized, Controlled Trial of the Lidocaine Patch for Relief of Pain During Epidural Needle Insertion in Laboring Patients
Infiltration of the skin with lidocaine is standard practice prior to lumbar epidural placement in laboring parturients1. Skin infiltration, although brief, can be very stressful and painful for patients.2 This initial discomfort may cause patient anxiety, thus increasing the pain and decreasing the satisfaction with the procedure. To reduce this discomfort, various topical alternatives have been investigated with varying degrees of success.1-4 Now that a topical mixture of lidocaine that is safe and effective is available, the investigators would like to determine if it can reduce the pain of skin infiltration in particular and epidural placement as a whole.
Inclusion Criteria:
1. Laboring patients between the ages of 18 and 45 with a BMI of less than 45
Exclusion Criteria: