How to prepare for a telehealth consultation for an epidural evaluation.
Teleconsultation for an Epidural Evaluation
An epidural is a medication that gets injected into the spinal cord, causing a loss of sensation and the inability to feel pain in specific regions of the body. Doctors (typically anesthesiologists) frequently use these during childbirth and in some surgeries, two things that would often be extremely painful if not for anesthesia (medications that cause loss of sensation) and analgesics (medications that cause pain relief). If you need an epidural for any reason, you or your doctor may desire a pre-anesthesia epidural evaluation visit for mutual discussion and understanding.
As telehealth visits become a more and more popular medium for medical assessment, here at Hoopcare we've gathered some important FYIs about your epidural evaluation teleconsultation.
When does someone get an epidural
Epidurals are considered an option during certain medical circumstances or procedures, including:
- During labor or childbirth
- For pain relief (analgesia) and lack of sensation (anesthesia) DURING certain surgeries
- For pain relief after certain surgeries
- For pain relief of some forms of chronic back pain
What does an epidural feel like
You may be curious to know what an Epidural feels like before receiving one. More than 50% of women who will give birth in a hospital in the US will receive one, so it's very likely that you know someone who's had one and can ask them! Nonetheless, typically an getting an epidural doesn't hurt much. First your doctor will numb the area by giving you a numbing injection. This might hurt or sting a bit, but that should be all. Your doctor will then place the epidural by injecting through your back into your spinal cord, in an area called the "epidural space". This may be a one-time injection or a continuous infusion depending on the type of procedure you're undergoing. Once numb, the actual epidural injection should be be close to painless, but many people report feeling a sensation of pressure as the needle is inserted. During your Teleconsultation, be sure to ask your doctor any specific questions you have about what an epidural feels like.
Who cannot get an epidural
Epidural injections are not for everyone, and this is something your doctor will likely discuss with you during your teleconsultation. The following types of people may not be able to get an epidural:
- people who are allergic to certain anesthetic drugs
- people who have "bleeding disorders", whose blood does not clot normally
- people who currently have a serious infection
- some people with poorly managed diabetes
What are the risks and side effects of an epidural
Epidurals are extremely safe medical treatments, and are used by millions of doctors and patients all over the world. Yet, nothing is without risks. The some possible side effects of epidurals include:
- itching
- shivering
- difficulty urinating
- temporary sore back where the needle was inserted
- drop in blood pressure
Even more rarely, epidurals can cause serious side effects, including:
- nausea and vomiting
- severe headache
- difficulty breathing
- rapid heartbeat
During your teleconsultation, you can ask your doctor how likely any of these rare side effects are in your particular case, and what he/she does to avoid these occurring.
What to ask during your telehealth consultation about epidurals
There are some very important things to keep in mind for your pre-epidural teleconsultation.
Things to tell your doctor include:
- any medications you take, when you take them, and the dose
- any illnesses or conditions you have, even if they seem irrelevant
Things to ask your doctor include:
- how does the procedure feel
- what is the typical recovery time
- what level of activity to have hours/days/weeks after the epidural
- how long the analgesic effects of the epidural will last
- how to prepare for the epidural injection (i.e. showers, meals, working out, right before the epidural)
