Incidence and characteristics of failures in obstetric neuraxial analgesia and anesthesia: a retrospective analysis of 19,259 deliveries.

The incidences of overall failure, intravenous epidural catheter, wet tap, inadequate epidural analgesia and catheter replacement were lower in patients receiving combined spinal-epidural versus epidural morphine, and the overall use of general anesthesia decreased from 8% to 4.3% over the three-year period.