title: Meningitis after combined spinal-extradural anaesthesia in obstetrics.
abstract: We report two cases of meningitis which developed after combined spinal-extradural procedures for obstetric analgesia. The first case was thought to be caused by aseptic or chemical meningitis and the second was a case of bacterial meningitis in a patient who also received an extradural blood patch. It is important that meningitis is considered as a differential diagnosis in patients who present with headache after spinal anaesthesia and that antibiotic therapy is selected to cover unusual organisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthetics, Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital, London.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Harding
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Collis
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Morgan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000773:Anesthesia, Obstetrical / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000775:Anesthesia, Spinal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008582:Meningitis, Aseptic / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000209:etiology*; D011247:Pregnancy