Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Management Of Ineffective Epidural For Cesarean Section, Miriam Ndenecho

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

In the United States, epidural anesthesia is used for approximately 29-44% of cesarean sections (Carvalho, 2012). A failed or inadequate labor epidural is challenging to manage, especially when a cesarean section is imminent. A failed labor epidural is defined as insufficient pain relief within 45 min after placement, accidental dural puncture, re-siting or abandoning the procedure, and patient dissatisfaction at follow-up (Ismail et al., 2021). This project examined established best practices for managing a parturient with an ineffective labor epidural that requires a cesarean section. The literature review provided zero practice guidelines for the management of failed epidural for cesarean …