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Access to epidurals in Quebec not in jeopardy despite equipment shortage

In 2016 and 2017, epidurals were used in 72 per cent of the vaginal deliveries in Quebec, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information. 

(CBC News) –– Quebec’s association of anesthesiologists wants to reassure people that they won’t be refused an epidural if they need one, even though the province is among many that are scrambling to find the catheters needed for the procedure.

Epidurals are mostly used for pain management during childbirth, but they are also used to numb patients during surgery.

Supply chain issues at the three catheter companies that supply the province have led to the shortage. According to Nikola Joly, the head of the association, most Quebec hospitals have enough stock to last about a month, but the situation is still being monitored closely. (…)

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