Determining Tuffier’s Line by Ultrasound in Pregnant and Non-pregnant Female Patients: a prospective cohort study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3329/bjms.v22i3.65316Keywords:
ultrasound; anesthesia in obstetrics; anatomyAbstract
Objectives: The correct determination of the vertebral level is important in anesthesia management and the prevention of possible risks. It has been shown that estimation of L4/5 intervertebral lumbar level based on Tuffier’s line determined by palpation (palpated L4/5) is often inaccurate. In this study, it was aimed to investigate how Tuffier’s line changes in the lateral decubitus position due to pregnancy.
Material and Methods: The patients were divided into two groups in this prospective cohort study. The pregnant patients were assigned to Group P (n = 75) while the non-pregnant patients were assigned to Group NP (n = 60). Lumbar ultrasound was conducted in both groups in the left lateral decubitus position to verify the vertebral level determined by Tuffier’s line that was detected by palpation. Demographic data, determination time of Tuffier’s line, ultrasound, and the detected vertebral levels were recorded in both groups.
Results and Discussion: Vertebral levels detected by both techniques were compatible with 35 (46.6%) patients in Group P and 36 (60%) patients in Group NP (p = 0.165). The vertebral levels in Group P detected via ultrasound were determined at L2 in three (4%) patients, at L2/3 in three (4%) patients, at L3 intervals in three (4%) patients, and at the L3/4 interval in 31 (41.3%) patients. The vertebral levels of the patients in Group NP detected via ultrasound was at L2/3 in 2 (3.3%) patients, and at the L3/4 interval in 22 (36.7%) patients. For the risk of insertion from a risky injection site, the OR = 3.96–95 and GA = 0.82–19.05 in Group P were higher compared to Group NP (approximately 4 times higher). While Group P was significantly limited in the risk analysis, according to L3 (p = 0.087), the risk under this level was similar (p = 0.124). In this study, the verification of Tuffier’s line determined through palpation did not show the correct vertebral level in almost half of the patients in the lateral decubitus position, regardless of pregnancy and demographic data.
Conclusion: We believe a possible spinal cord injury can be prevented by determining the needle insertion site via lumbar ultrasound in the pregnant patients.
Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol. 22 No. 03 July’23 Page : 529-535
Downloads
46
75
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Lutfiye Pırbudak, Bahar Seker, Ergun Mendes, Yusuf Emelı
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish in the Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science agree to the following terms that:
- Authors retain copyright and grant Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science the right of first publication of the work.
Articles in Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License CC BY-4.0.This license permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as greater citation of published work.
