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Epidural Rate for Vaginal Deliveries

This indicator provides contextual information on obstetrical services and provides the crude epidural rate for vaginal deliveries across Canada.

This indicator provides contextual information on obstetrical services across Canada.

Data updated:
Data availability: to (fiscal years)
Geographic coverage
All provinces/territories
Reporting level
National
Calculation

Rate = (Number of vaginal deliveries where an epidural anesthetic was used) ÷ (Number of vaginal deliveries) × 100

Unit of Analysis: Discharges from acute care facilities

Denominator

Number of vaginal deliveries

Numerator

Number of vaginal deliveries where an epidural anesthetic was used

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Name

Epidural Rate for Vaginal Deliveries

Short/Other Names

Not applicable

Description

Crude epidural rate for vaginal deliveries

Rationale

Epidural rates for all deliveries continue to vary among provinces/territories. Given this variability, this indicator can be used to inform government planners, policy-makers, health system decision-makers, health care providers, patients and the general public. It can help raise awareness and allow Canada to compare its rates with the rates of other countries.

Interpretation

This indicator provides contextual information on obstetrical services across Canada.

HSP Framework Dimension

Health system inputs and characteristics: Adjustment to population health needs

Areas of Need

Not applicable

Targets/Benchmarks

Not applicable

Available Data Years

to (fiscal years)

Geographic Coverage

  • All provinces/territories

Reporting Level/Disaggregation

  • National

Indicator Results

Web Tool:
Quick Stats

Update Frequency

Every year

Latest Results Update Date

Updates

As of 2015–2016, the national results include non-residents of Canada.

Description

Rate = (Number of vaginal deliveries where an epidural anesthetic was used) ÷ (Number of vaginal deliveries) × 100

Unit of Analysis: Discharges from acute care facilities

Type of Measurement

Rate - Per 100

Denominator

Description:

Number of vaginal deliveries

Inclusions:

  1. Delivery codes included in the denominator are as follows: ICD-10-CA delivery codes: 
    1. Any one diagnosis code of O10 to O16, O21 to O29, O30 to O46, O48, O60 to O75, O85 to O92, O95 or O98 to O99, with a sixth digit of 1 or 2 coded in any position OR 
    2. Z37 coded in any position

Exclusions:

  1. Stillbirth records or newborns
  2. Cadaveric donors
  3. Non-female records
  4. An abortive procedure:
    CCI: 
    1. Any one procedure code of 5.CA.20, 5.CA.24, 5.CA.88, 5.CA.89 or 5.CA.93 coded in any position that was not abandoned (Status Attribute = A) or done out of hospital (Out-of-Hospital = Y) OR 
    2. An ICD-10-CA diagnosis code of O04 coded in any diagnosis field
  5. Caesarean section:
    CCI Caesarean section delivery codes: 
    1. A procedure code of 5.MD.60 coded in any position that was not abandoned (Status Attribute = A) or done out of hospital (Out-of-Hospital = Y)

Numerator

Description:

Number of vaginal deliveries where an epidural anesthetic was used

Inclusions:

CCI epidural codes:

  1. Anesthetic Technique Code = 3 (Epidural) OR
  2. A procedure code of 5.LD.20.HA-P1 coded in any position that was not abandoned (Status Attribute = A) or done out of hospital (Out-of-Hospital = Y)

Exclusions:

Same as denominator (numerator is a subset of the denominator)

Method of Adjustment

Not applicable

Adjustment Applied

None

Geographic Assignment

Place of residence

Data Sources

  • DAD

Caveats and Limitations

In order to provide a more stable rate estimate, only data from regions with a population of at least 75,000 (from 2001–2002 to 2005–2006) or 50,000 (from 2006–2007 to 2014–2015) was reported. Additional indications for suppression were rate instability and under-reporting. As of 2015–2016, regions are not suppressed based on population; instead, the following suppression methodology is used:

  1. Suppression due to privacy: To ensure privacy, a suppression rule is applied to all clinical indicator results. Numerators and/or denominators between 1 and 4 are suppressed.
  2. Suppression due to unstable results: Unstable indicator results are suppressed. In general, these are indicator results with a denominator between 1 and 49.

Trending Issues

Refer to the Important notes in Hospitalization and Childbirth Quick Stats Metadata (PDF)
 

Comments

For more information about this indicator, please refer to Hospital stays in Canada.

References

Not applicable

How to cite:

Canadian Institute for Health Information. Epidural Rate for Vaginal Deliveries. Accessed April 24, 2025.