Epidural Catheter Placement in Morbidly Obese Parturients with the Use of an Epidural Depth Equation prior to Ultrasound Visualization

Table 2

Maternal outcome data.

Epidural depth (cm)
Clinical	6.6±1.0
Equation	6.5±0.7
US longitudinal	6.4±0.8
US transverse	6.5±0.8
Failed epidural	9 (5.6%)
Failed early epidural	2 (1.3%)
No. of epidural attempts	1 (1–4)
Without redirection	86 (54%)
No. of epidural placements	1 (1-2) IQ [1-2]
Without reinsertion	147 (92%)
Staff intervention	32 (20%)
Additional top-ups (boluses)	0 (0–8)
Accidental dural puncture	3 (1.9%)
Delivery type
Vaginal	108 (67.5%)
Cesarean	41 (25.6%)
Elective Cesarean	11 (6.9%)
Postdural puncture headache	1 (0.6%)
Epidural blood patch	1 (0.6%)

Data are mean ± SD, or median with range in parenthesis, or number with percentage in parenthesis. IQ: interquartile with 25th and 75th quartiles in brackets.