Ropivacaine and Fentanyl for Labor Epidural Initiation

We aim to perform a prospective observational study in a single cohort of 50 patients receiving a dural-puncture epidural technique for labor analgesia. We will use a biased-coin up-down allocation methodology to quantify the volume of a combined epidural 0.1% ropivacaine and 2 mcg/ml fentanyl regimen that achieves effective analgesia in 90% of patients experiencing active labor who receive a dural-puncture epidural technique for labor analgesia.