Can a finger sensor reveal whether an epidural is working?
NCT ID NCT07831967
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.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 200 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Oct 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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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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