Gravity Flow Technique to Validate Proper Location of Epidural Needle Tip

Epidural analgesia for childbirth may fail to provide adequate pain relief. At NYULMC, to maximize the likelihood that epidural analgesia will work well, the gravity flow technique is used when performing epidural procedures. The gravity flow technique is not well known, and is therefore used in only a few hospitals. The purpose of this study is to quantify the reliability of the gravity flow technique to accurately validate the position of the epidural needle tip when performing lumbar epidural analgesia in laboring women.