CoolStick vs. ethyl chloride spray for sensory block testing to light touch and cold for caesarean delivery under neuraxial anaesthesia: a paired method-comparison study with randomised test order
Authors' conclusion
We found high overall agreement between devices for both light touch and cold testing.
Study context
- Population
- Women undergoing planned caesarean delivery with spinal or CSE anaesthesia, tested 10 min post-spinalpaired
- Participants
- 64 women
- Exposure
- CoolStick vs ethyl chloride spray for sensory block testing
- Outcome
- Dermatomal level to light touch
- Follow-up
- 10 min post-spinal
Methodological detailsmulticentre, prospective, paired, randomised test order, Recruited April–November 2025
- Multicentre
- Prospective
- Paired
- Randomised test order
- Recruited April–November 2025
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Dermatomal level to light touch: agreement between methods
Intraclass correlation coefficient for light touch
0.87
95% CI 0.78–0.92, P < 0.001
Median bias for light touch, dermatomes (95% limits of agreement −1 to 4, p = 0.002)
0
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Secondary outcomes
Dermatomal level to cold: agreement between methods · 10 min post-spinal
- Intraclass correlation coefficient for cold
- 0.89 (95% CI 0.83-0.93, P < 0.001)
- Median bias for cold, dermatomes (limits of agreement −2 to 1, P = 0.06)
- 0
Safety
Pain within 60 min of spinal injection
- No patient reported pain
Original publication
CoolStick vs. ethyl chloride spray for sensory block testing to light touch and cold for caesarean delivery under neuraxial anaesthesia: a paired method-comparison study with randomised test order. Int J Obstet Anesth. Published 22 September 2026. doi:10.
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