Upper back, neck, and shoulder pain during labor epidural analgesia: a quality improvement initiative
Authors' conclusion
The incidence of PLEA was higher than previously reported.
Study context
- Population
- Women receiving labor epidural analgesia, October 2022 through May 2023
- Participants
- 2,888 women
- Exposure
- Parturients with vs without PLEA
- PLEAn = 36
- Outcome
- Incidence of PLEA
Methodological detailssingle-centre, prospective eight-month initiative, three-step treatment protocol
- Single-centre
- Prospective eight-month initiative
- Three-step treatment protocol
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
PLEA
1.2%
36
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Cesarean delivery (CD)
P < 0.001
Interval epidural placement to delivery
P < 0.001
- Received at least one protocol treatment (women with PLEA)
- 72.2% · 26 of 36
Demographics, PLEA vs no PLEA
- Women with PLEA younger, more likely nulliparous, higher body mass index (BMI) than women without PLEA
- P < 0.05 for all
Pain relief with first-line therapy (23 women)
- Pain relief with first-line therapy
- 91.3% (21/23)
Numeric rating scale (NRS) score with treatment
- Median NRS before treatment
- 9 [IQR 8-10]
- Median NRS after treatment
- 3 [1-4]
Original publication
Upper back, neck, and shoulder pain during labor epidural analgesia: a quality improvement initiative. Int J Obstet Anesth. Published 22 August 2024. doi:10.
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