الفهرس 
IntroductionOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
In this prospective randomized controlled study, there was no significant benefit of using preprocedure lumbar neuraxial ultrasound for epidural catheter insertion compared to the conventional landmark technique in non-obese laboring women with easily palpable anatomical landmarks.With meticulous technique and sufficient expertise, the rate of first pass success is generally good and the incidence of complications is low in non-obese parturients with palpable anatomical landmarks.Ultrasound still has great use in accurately determining the intervertebral level and so, avoiding major complications (e.g., spinal cord injury). It accurately estimates the depth to the epidural space and may provide a guide to the loss of resistance test. It can be especially beneficial in patients with difficult spinal anatomy where it is impossible to identify the midline or the proper needle insertion point.Further studies involving cohorts of anesthesiologists with different expertise and patients with difficult landmarks are required. Also the impact of spinal ultrasound on the learning curve for neuraxial blocks needs to be investigated.