Labor PainNCT01513447
Intracutaneous Sterile Water Injections
A study testing Intracutaneous injections in people with Labor Pain, run by Northwestern University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
For most women, the most significant pain they will experience is the pain associated with childbirth. Up to one-third of women experience "back labor", this typically occurs when the fetus assumes varying degrees of malposition, especially the occiput posterior position, and causes additional constant pressure… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 60 years, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Labor Pain
- What is being tested?
- Intracutaneous injections
- Type of treatment
- Injection or infusion
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 8 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Dec 2011to Dec 2013
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 60 years
- Women only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- multiparous women
- spontaneous labor
- at least 18 years of age
- presenting for vaginal delivery with cervical dilation of 4 centimeters or less
Who cannot join
- nulliparous
- less than 18 years old
- contraindication to placement of neuraxial anesthetic
- skin infection in area to be injected
- medical therapies considered to result in tolerance to opioids
- history of chronic pain (requiring regular medical follow-up with pain specialists)
- recent use of opioid analgesics (within the year preceding pregnancy)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Chicago, Illinois, 60611
About this study
Official title: Intracutaneous Sterile Water Injection as an Adjunct to Neuraxial Labor Analgesia: A Randomized Controlled Trial
For most women, the most significant pain they will experience is the pain associated with childbirth. Up to one-third of women experience "back labor", this typically occurs when the fetus assumes varying degrees of malposition, especially the occiput posterior position, and causes additional constant pressure against the maternal spine and pelvis. "Back labor" presents as constant pain, that occurs even between contractions. It is often difficult to manage, by the patient, the obstetrician, and the anesthesiologist, and may increase the rate of instrumental and caesarian delivery.
Epidural anesthesia/analgesia is the most common and effective intervention used to help women cope with labor pain. Dilute concentrations of local anesthetic and opioid provide complete analgesia for most women. Some women, however, have breakthrough pain, often due to "back labor," and require more concentrated drug solutions. This increases the side effects associated with these drugs (e.g., hypotension, pruritus, motor block), thus treatment of this pain poses a challenge for the anesthesiologist and the obstetrician.
Read more
Sterile water injections (SWI) are a simple and well-established method of managing labor pain among midwives. This intervention was first used to alleviate pain associated with kidney stones, and was introduced to obstetrics in the 1970s. Using a syringe, small amounts of sterile water is deposited subcutaneously near the sacral area. The sterile water causes osmotic and mechanical irritation resulting in a brief (15-30 second) and significant stinging sensation. The onset of pain relief follows almost immediately and may last for up to two hours. The procedure can be repeated a number of times.
Sterile water for pain management is most often administered using four intracutaneous injections: two sites lateral to the lumbosacral spine and two sites 2-3 cm below and 1-2 cm medial to the original two injection sites. 0.1 mL of sterile water is injected between the dermal layers to raise a small bleb on the skin surface at each of the four sites. In labor, the injections are administered sequentially during a uterine contraction, with the series of four injections, performed two at a time, completed within 20-30 seconds.
The investigators hypothesize that the use of sterile water injections in women with neuraxial analgesia with breakthrough pain will result in decreased local anesthetic requirements and increase patient satisfaction.
Read the detailed description
Since it is assumed that the neuraxial anesthetic is placed prior to transition to active phase of labor, the patient will receive the intervention when they report breakthrough pain. Prior to administration of the intervention, the adequacy of the existing neuraxial anesthetic will be verified as bilateral decreased discrimination to cold from T8 to the sacrum. Four tuberculin syringes, each containing 0.1 mL of the assigned solution labeled "study drug" will be prepared. Patients allocated to the study group will receive sterile water, and those allocated to the control group will receive sterile normal saline solution.
The area to be injected will be prepared with chlorhexidine wipes to ensure sterility. In the sitting position, study subjects will receive a total of 0.4 mL of "study drug" via four injections: bilateral injections at the posterior superior iliac spine on and bilateral injections at 1 cm medial and 1-2 cm inferior to the first point.
Patients will be asked to rate their overall labor pain using a 0-100 mm visual analog scale (VAS) for pain prior to study drug administration and every 30 minutes until commencement of pushing. They will also be asked to specifically rate low back pain with the VAS. Analgesia administration data from the time of study drug injection, including maintenance epidural solution volume, time of first patient controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) bolus request, number of PCEA bolus requests and delivered doses, total PCEA bupivacaine dose, time to first request for manual rebolus, number of manual bolus doses, manual bolus bupivacaine dose, total bupivacaine dose and total fentanyl dose.
Additional recorded data will include maternal age, height, weight, cervical dilation at initiation of neuraxial analgesia and at study drug administration, duration of labor (initiation of analgesia to delivery), maximum oxytocin infusion rate during labor, and mode of delivery. A "total labor pain score" will be assessed approximately 60 minute after delivery, as well as satisfaction with labor analgesia using a 100-mm VAS.
- Conditions
- Labor Pain
- Being tested
- Intracutaneous injections
- Keywords
- sterile water injections, back labor
- Medical subject headings
- Labor Pain
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Intracutaneous injectionsDrug
Four intracutaneous injections: two sites lateral to the lumbosacral spine and two sites 2-3 centimeters below and 1- 2 centimeters medial to the original two injections sites. 0.1 millimeters of the study drug is injected between the dermal layers at each of the four sites. The injections are administered sequentially, with the series of four injections, performed two at a time, completed in 20-30 seconds.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Sterile Water Injection | Active comparator | In the sitting position, study subjects will receive a total of 0.4 mL of "study drug" via four intracutaneous injections: bilateral injections at the posterior superior iliac spine and bilateral injections at 1 cm medial and 1-2 cm inferior to the first point. Receives: Drug: Intracutaneous injections |
| Normal Saline Injection | Placebo comparator | In the sitting position, study subjects will receive a total of 0.4 mL of "study drug" via four intracutaneous injections: bilateral injections at the posterior superior iliac spine and bilateral injections at 1 cm medial and 1-2 cm inferior to the first point. Receives: Drug: Intracutaneous injections |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Number of Participants With Breakthrough Back Labor Pain
It is anticipated that intracutaneous sterile water injections will provide additional pain relief as part of a multimodal analgesic regimen in women, especially in women with back labor.
Measured: within 24 hours
Secondary outcomes (1)
Total Local Anesthetic Consumption
It is anticipated that intracutaneous sterile water injections will decrease the amount of local anesthetic consumption.
Measured: 24 hours
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted20 Jan 2012 (estimated)
- Study startDec 2011
- Primary completionDec 2013
- Study completionDec 2013
Why it stopped: low qualified candidate enrollment
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Publications (10)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Labor PainStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Northwestern UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator
- Enrolment
- 8 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Northwestern University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Cynthia Wong, Northwestern University
- Investigators
- Cynthia Wong, MD, Principal investigator, Northwestern University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01513447
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- STU00057039
- Status last verified
- Feb 2015
- First submitted
- 16 Jan 2012
- Last updated
- 2 Mar 2015
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- No
Publications
Creehan PA. Pain relief and comfort measures in labor. In: Simpson KR, Creehan PA, editors. AWHONN's Perinatal Nursing, 3rd edn. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008. pp. 444-72.
Cervero F, Tattersall JE. Somatic and visceral sensory integration in the thoracic spinal cord. Prog Brain Res. 1986;67:189-205. doi: 10.1016/s0079-6123(08)62763-6. No abstract available.
PubMed 3823471Bengtsson J, Worning AM, Gertz J, Struckmann J, Bonnesen T, Palludan H, Olsen PR, Frimodt-Moller C. [Pain due to urolithiasis treated by intracutaneous injection of sterile water. A clinically controlled double-blind study]. Ugeskr Laeger. 1981 Dec 14;143(51):3463-5. No abstract available. Danish.
PubMed 7039061Odent M. [Letter: Lumbar reflexotherapy. Efficacy in the treatment of nephrotic colic and in obstretrical analgesia]. Nouv Presse Med. 1975 Jan 18;4(3):188. No abstract available. French.
PubMed 1129076Huntley AL, Coon JT, Ernst E. Complementary and alternative medicine for labor pain: a systematic review. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2004 Jul;191(1):36-44. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2003.12.008.
PubMed 15295342Reynolds JL. Intracutaneous sterile water for back pain in labour. Can Fam Physician. 1994 Oct;40:1785-8, 1791-2.
PubMed 7950471Melzack R, Wall PD. Pain mechanisms: a new theory. Science. 1965 Nov 19;150(3699):971-9. doi: 10.1126/science.150.3699.971. No abstract available.
PubMed 5320816Martensson L, McSwiggin M, Mercer JS. US midwives' knowledge and use of sterile water injections for labor pain. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2008 Mar-Apr;53(2):115-22. doi: 10.1016/j.jmwh.2007.09.008.
PubMed 18308260Hutton EK, Kasperink M, Rutten M, Reitsma A, Wainman B. Sterile water injection for labour pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BJOG. 2009 Aug;116(9):1158-66. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2009.02221.x. Epub 2009 May 14.
PubMed 19459860Wong CA, McCarthy RJ, Hewlett B. The effect of manipulation of the programmed intermittent bolus time interval and injection volume on total drug use for labor epidural analgesia: a randomized controlled trial. Anesth Analg. 2011 Apr;112(4):904-11. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0b013e31820e7c2f.
PubMed 21430035
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 Mar 2015. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Intracutaneous Sterile Water Injection as an Adjunct to Neuraxial Labor Analgesia: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01513447
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- STU00057039
- Conditions
- Labor Pain
- Keywords
- sterile water injections, back labor
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- TerminatedReason stopped: low qualified candidate enrollment
- Enrolment
- 8 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Northwestern UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Dec 2011
- Primary completion
- Dec 2013 (actual)
- Study completion
- Dec 2013 (actual)
- First posted
- 20 Jan 2012 (estimated)
- Results
- Posted 2 Mar 2015
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
For most women, the most significant pain they will experience is the pain associated with childbirth. Up to one-third of women experience "back labor", this typically occurs when the fetus assumes varying degrees of malposition, especially the occiput posterior position, and causes additional constant pressure against the maternal spine and pelvis. "Back labor" presents as constant pain, that occurs even between contractions. It is often difficult to manage, by the patient, the obstetrician, and the anesthesiologist, and may increase the rate of instrumental and caesarian delivery.
Epidural anesthesia/analgesia is the most common and effective intervention used to help women cope with labor pain. Dilute concentrations of local anesthetic and opioid provide complete analgesia for most women. Some women, however, have breakthrough pain, often due to "back labor," and require more concentrated drug solutions. This increases the side effects associated with these drugs (e.g., hypotension, pruritus, motor block), thus treatment of this pain poses a challenge for the anesthesiologist and the obstetrician.
Sterile water injections (SWI) are a simple and well-established method of managing labor pain among midwives. This intervention was first used to alleviate pain associated with kidney stones, and was introduced to obstetrics in the 1970s. Using a syringe, small amounts of sterile water is deposited subcutaneously near the sacral area. The sterile water causes osmotic and mechanical irritation resulting in a brief (15-30 second) and significant stinging sensation. The onset of pain relief follows almost immediately and may last for up to two hours. The procedure can be repeated a number of times.
Sterile water for pain management is most often administered using four intracutaneous injections: two sites lateral to the lumbosacral spine and two sites 2-3 cm below and 1-2 cm medial to the original two injection sites. 0.1 mL of sterile water is injected between the dermal layers to raise a small bleb on the skin surface at each of the four sites. In labor, the injections are administered sequentially during a uterine contraction, with the series of four injections, performed two at a time, completed within 20-30 seconds.
The investigators hypothesize that the use of sterile water injections in women with neuraxial analgesia with breakthrough pain will result in decreased local anesthetic requirements and increase patient satisfaction.
Detailed description
Since it is assumed that the neuraxial anesthetic is placed prior to transition to active phase of labor, the patient will receive the intervention when they report breakthrough pain. Prior to administration of the intervention, the adequacy of the existing neuraxial anesthetic will be verified as bilateral decreased discrimination to cold from T8 to the sacrum. Four tuberculin syringes, each containing 0.1 mL of the assigned solution labeled "study drug" will be prepared. Patients allocated to the study group will receive sterile water, and those allocated to the control group will receive sterile normal saline solution.
The area to be injected will be prepared with chlorhexidine wipes to ensure sterility. In the sitting position, study subjects will receive a total of 0.4 mL of "study drug" via four injections: bilateral injections at the posterior superior iliac spine on and bilateral injections at 1 cm medial and 1-2 cm inferior to the first point.
Patients will be asked to rate their overall labor pain using a 0-100 mm visual analog scale (VAS) for pain prior to study drug administration and every 30 minutes until commencement of pushing. They will also be asked to specifically rate low back pain with the VAS. Analgesia administration data from the time of study drug injection, including maintenance epidural solution volume, time of first patient controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) bolus request, number of PCEA bolus requests and delivered doses, total PCEA bupivacaine dose, time to first request for manual rebolus, number of manual bolus doses, manual bolus bupivacaine dose, total bupivacaine dose and total fentanyl dose.
Additional recorded data will include maternal age, height, weight, cervical dilation at initiation of neuraxial analgesia and at study drug administration, duration of labor (initiation of analgesia to delivery), maximum oxytocin infusion rate during labor, and mode of delivery. A "total labor pain score" will be assessed approximately 60 minute after delivery, as well as satisfaction with labor analgesia using a 100-mm VAS.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, investigator)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Sterile Water Injection | Active comparator | Drug: Intracutaneous injectionsIn the sitting position, study subjects will receive a total of 0.4 mL of "study drug" via four intracutaneous injections: bilateral injections at the posterior superior iliac spine and bilateral injections at 1 cm medial and 1-2 cm inferior to the first point. |
| Normal Saline Injection | Placebo comparator | Drug: Intracutaneous injectionsIn the sitting position, study subjects will receive a total of 0.4 mL of "study drug" via four intracutaneous injections: bilateral injections at the posterior superior iliac spine and bilateral injections at 1 cm medial and 1-2 cm inferior to the first point. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 60 years
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- multiparous women
- spontaneous labor
- at least 18 years of age
- presenting for vaginal delivery with cervical dilation of 4 centimeters or less
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- nulliparous
- less than 18 years old
- contraindication to placement of neuraxial anesthetic
- skin infection in area to be injected
- medical therapies considered to result in tolerance to opioids
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Intracutaneous injectionsFour intracutaneous injections: two sites lateral to the lumbosacral spine and two sites 2-3 centimeters below and 1- 2 centimeters medial to the original two injections sites. 0.1 millimeters of the study drug is injected between the dermal layers at each of the four sites. The injections are administered sequentially, with the series of four injections, performed two at a time, completed in 20-30 seconds. | Drug | Normal Saline Injection, Sterile Water Injection |
Primary outcome
Number of Participants With Breakthrough Back Labor Pain
Time frame: within 24 hours
It is anticipated that intracutaneous sterile water injections will provide additional pain relief as part of a multimodal analgesic regimen in women, especially in women with back labor.
1 secondary outcome
Total Local Anesthetic Consumption
Time frame: 24 hours
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 2 Mar 2015.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- BackgroundCreehan PA. Pain relief and comfort measures in labor. In: Simpson KR, Creehan PA, editors. AWHONN's Perinatal Nursing, 3rd edn. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008. pp. 444-72.
- Background: PubMed 3823471Cervero F, Tattersall JE. Somatic and visceral sensory integration in the thoracic spinal cord. Prog Brain Res. 1986;67:189-205. doi: 10.1016/s0079-6123(08)62763-6. No abstract available.
- Background: PubMed 7039061Bengtsson J, Worning AM, Gertz J, Struckmann J, Bonnesen T, Palludan H, Olsen PR, Frimodt-Moller C. [Pain due to urolithiasis treated by intracutaneous injection of sterile water. A clinically controlled double-blind study]. Ugeskr Laeger. 1981 Dec 14;143(51):3463-5. No abstract available. Danish.
- Background: PubMed 1129076Odent M. [Letter: Lumbar reflexotherapy. Efficacy in the treatment of nephrotic colic and in obstretrical analgesia]. Nouv Presse Med. 1975 Jan 18;4(3):188. No abstract available. French.
- Background: PubMed 15295342Huntley AL, Coon JT, Ernst E. Complementary and alternative medicine for labor pain: a systematic review. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2004 Jul;191(1):36-44. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2003.12.008.
- Background: PubMed 7950471Reynolds JL. Intracutaneous sterile water for back pain in labour. Can Fam Physician. 1994 Oct;40:1785-8, 1791-2.
- Background: PubMed 5320816Melzack R, Wall PD. Pain mechanisms: a new theory. Science. 1965 Nov 19;150(3699):971-9. doi: 10.1126/science.150.3699.971. No abstract available.
- Background: PubMed 18308260Martensson L, McSwiggin M, Mercer JS. US midwives' knowledge and use of sterile water injections for labor pain. J Midwifery Womens Health. 2008 Mar-Apr;53(2):115-22. doi: 10.1016/j.jmwh.2007.09.008.
- Background: PubMed 19459860Hutton EK, Kasperink M, Rutten M, Reitsma A, Wainman B. Sterile water injection for labour pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BJOG. 2009 Aug;116(9):1158-66. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2009.02221.x. Epub 2009 May 14.
- Background: PubMed 21430035Wong CA, McCarthy RJ, Hewlett B. The effect of manipulation of the programmed intermittent bolus time interval and injection volume on total drug use for labor epidural analgesia: a randomized controlled trial. Anesth Analg. 2011 Apr;112(4):904-11. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0b013e31820e7c2f.
Related trials for Labor Pain
RecruitingPhase 4
Analgesic Efficacy and Obstetric Effects of Tramadol, Paracetamol and Placebo in Active Labor
Labor Pain
Recruiting
The Effect Of Partner-Assısted Rebozo Technıque On Labor Paın And Satısfactıon In Prımary Pregnant Women
Labor Pains
Recruiting
Pain Neuroscience-Based Education for Labor Pain in Pregnant Women
Labor Pain and Anxiety
Not yet recruiting
The 90% Effective Initial Volume for Labor Analgesia Under Double Dural Puncture Epidural Technique
Labor Pain
Not yet recruiting
Initiation Ropivacaine Dose for Labor Analgesia Via Double Dural Puncture Epidural Technique
Labor Pain
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Cynthia Wong, MD principal investigator
Northwestern University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Intracutaneous injections in people with Labor Pain, run by Northwestern University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Mar 2015. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 2 Mar 2015). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Number of Participants With Breakthrough Back Labor Pain (time frame: within 24 hours). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT01513447, which also lists 10 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Mar 2015; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 6 Nov 2026.