Background
the use of ultrasound in performing epidural anesthesia is in the rise. Many techniques are recently described in order to enhance the use of ultrasound in the performance of epidural anesthesia. Some new ultrasound devices like the Accuro device has been developed but the comparison between all the different techniques determining the advantage of each is not yet fully investigated. compare the Accuro device as an example of ultrasound-assisted epidural catheter placement technique on one hand with the real-time ultrasound aided by the acoustic puncture-assisted device (APAD) to perform the epidural anesthesia on the other hand.
Methods
This study was performed on one hundred pregnant patients divided equally into two groups. Epidural anesthesia was performed in the first group using the Accuro device and in the second group using the (APAD) in combination with a real-time ultrasound.
Results
The first-time success rate was significantly higher in the second group 90% compared to 74%in the first group. The mean time to localize the epidural space and the total time of the procedure were significantly shorter in the second group.
Conclusion
the combination of real-time ultrasound with the APAD in performing epidural anesthesia resulted in easier and faster technique when compared with the new handheld pre-procedure Accuro ultrasound device.