title: A change in resistance? A survey of epidural practice amongst obstetric anaesthetists.
abstract: Five hundred members of the Obstetric Anaesthetists Association were surveyed regarding their technique for identification of the epidural space. Eighty-one per cent of the questionnaires were returned completed. Fifty-nine per cent of respondents first learned a loss of resistance to air technique, 33.4% to saline and 7.4% another technique. Presently, 37.1% and 52.7% use only a loss of resistance to air or saline, respectively. Six per cent use both techniques and 3.2% use other techniques. Twenty-eight per cent taught a loss of resistance to air, 57.2% taught a loss of resistance to saline and 12.9% taught both techniques. Twenty-three per cent changed from a loss of resistance to air, to a saline technique, and 4.2% vice versa. Forty-seven per cent of those using air felt that loss of resistance to air was not associated with a clinically significant difference in the incidence of accidental dural puncture compared with saline.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthetics and Intensive Care Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, UK.
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Howell
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Prosser
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harmer
mesh_terms: D000388:Air; D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000773:Anesthesia, Obstetrical / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000193:education; D004388:Dura Mater / Q000293:injuries; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011247:Pregnancy; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D013663:Teaching; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D012965:Sodium Chloride