Anesthesia management after inadvertent dural puncture during application of epidural blockage

• Main Authors: Mine Çelik, Ayten Saraçoğlu, Kemal Tolga Saraçoğlu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dicle University Medical School 2010-12-01
• Series: Dicle Medical Journal
• Subjects: Epidural anesthesia; dural puncture; postdural headache; blood patch; complication.
• Online Access: http://www.dicle.edu.tr/fakulte/tip/dergi/yayin/374/13.pdf

Accidentally dural puncture during the application of epidural blockage is a rare complication. There are some treatment methods in anesthesia management of this complication. Inserting the epidural needle to another intervertebral disc space, replacing subarachnoid catheter, injection of spinal anesthetic solution wherein epidural needle or implementing general anesthesia are some of the methods that physicians applicate.We report a cesarean delivery patient’s case in which we have composed an accidental dural puncture. We drew back the epidural needle till the level that no free cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow is seen. We confirmed this by injection aspiration technique. In this case, we revised the maneuvers of the anesthetist after unintentional dural puncture with protective and therapeutic methods of the most frequent complication postdural puncture headache (PDPH).