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Can a finger sensor reveal whether an epidural is working?

NCT ID NCT07831967

NEW Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Medical University of Gdansk Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 21, 2026 · Last updated Sep 21, 2026

Summary

Researchers at one hospital observe 200 women in labor who receive epidural or combined spinal-epidural pain relief as part of routine care. They track the peripheral perfusion index, a non-invasive reading from a finger pulse oximeter, before the block and at set intervals during labor. The study asks how this reading changes, whether those changes match reported pain scores, and whether the reading can help identify an ineffective block early.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Epidural or combined spinal-epidural labor analgesia using local anesthetic with or without opioid, given as routine care
What this could lead to
If the perfusion index tracks pain relief well, it could give doctors a simple, non-invasive way to spot an epidural that is not working and adjust pain relief sooner.
What could go wrong
This is a small observational study at one hospital, so it can only show patterns, not prove cause. Perfusion index readings can vary with temperature, movement, and other factors, so the signal may not be reliable enough for routine decisions.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Participants

About 200 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Sep 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Oct 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

Women in spontaneous or induced vaginal labor, admitted to the labor ward of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Gynaecologic Oncology and Gynaecologic Endocrinology, University Clinical Centre in Gdańsk, who receive epidural or opioid-only combined spinal-epidural analgesia.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Female participants only

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Use of epidural analgesia (epidural block, or combined spinal-epidural block) during spontaneous vaginal delivery. 2. Signed informed consent to participate in the study. Exclusion Criteria: Administration of local anaesthetic into the intrathecal (subarachnoid) space as part of combined spinal-epidural analgesia.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Pain

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Labor epidural analgesia Pain Perfusion index

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University Clinical Centre in Gdańsk , Drpartment of Anesthesiology nd Intensive Therapy and Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Gynaecologic Oncology and Gynaecologic Endocrinology

    Gdansk, Pomeranian Voivodeship, 80-322, Poland

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