[Epidural blood patch to treat severe postdural puncture headache after ambulatorysurgery].
We report a case of postdural puncture headache (PDPH) after outpatient hysteroscopy under spinal anesthesia in which a 25-gauge Whitacre needle was used. Symptoms of PDPH appeared 6 hours after surgery. The headache improved with oral caffein and intravenous corticosteroids and the patient was discharged after 24 hours. Later, she was attended twice in the emergency departments of 2 hospitals, where she received conventional treatment (analgesics and corticosteroids). Eleven days after the surgical procedure, an epidural blood patch was performed. Within 12 hours the incapacitating symptoms had improved markedly and resolution was complete 2 months after surgery. PDPH worthy of blood patch treatment is a rare complication of spinal anesthesia with pencil-point needles. Clear diagnostic protocols are required if satisfactory treatment is not to be delayed and unnecessary suffering is to be prevented.
Galindo Palazuelos
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Servicio de Anestesiologia y Reanimación, Hospital Comarcal de Laredo, Cantabria. mgalindopalazuelos@yahoo.com
Díaz Setién
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D000328:Adult; D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures; D017217:Blood Patch, Epidural; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051299:Post-Dural Puncture Headache / Q000628:therapy*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index