About the SWITCh trial
(Sterile Water Injections Techniques Comparison Trial)
The most common SWI technique used worldwide is the four injection technique. Recently, a technique using just one injection of sterile water has been tried that appears to provide similar levels of pain relief to the four injection technique. The single injection is given at the point where the woman indicates the back pain is worst.
Therefore, the aim of the proposed study is to examine if the single injection technique is as effective as the routinely used four injection method in reducing continuous lower back pain experienced during labour. Providing the analgesic benefits of single SWI are shown to be as effective as the four injection method, several clinically relevant benefits are expected. SWI technique would be more greatly accepted by women due to fewer injections and less discomfort. Furthermore, the single needle technique also takes less time to administer and requires fewer resources.
The study will involve more than 300 women presenting to Mater Mothers’ Hospitals birth suites in labour at term, and experiencing severe lower back pain during their labour. Following informed consent, these women will be randomly allocated to receive either the single or four injection SWI technique. Pain scores will be measured at regular intervals for two hours using a visual analogue scale (VAS)—a 10 centimetre line representing “no pain” at one centimetre and “worst pain imaginable” at ten centimetres. The VAS is routinely used in subjective pain measurement and used in nearly all previous SWI studies. Demographic, birth, labour outcome, pain scores and results of a satisfaction questionnaire will be statistically analysed for the two groups of women who participate in the trial.
Further information about participating in the trial