Effectiveness of Epidural Blood Patch in the Management of Post-Dural Puncture Headache

Background: Lumbar epidural blood patch (EBP) is a common treatment of post-dural puncture headache, but its effectiveness and mode of action remain a matter of debate. The aim of this study was to assess both the effectiveness and the predictive factors of failure of EBP on severe post-dural puncture headache.

Methods: This prospective observational study includes all patients treated in the authors' hospital with EBP for incapacitating post-dural puncture headache, from 1988 to 2000. The EBP effect was classified into complete relief (disappearance of all symptoms), incomplete relief of symptoms (clinically improved patients who recovered sufficiently to perform normal daily activity), and failure (persistence of severe symptoms). The following data were analyzed using a logistic regression to identify predictive factors of failure of EBP: (1) patient characteristics; (2) circumstances of dural puncture; (3) delay between dural puncture and EBP; and (4) the volume of blood injected for EBP.

Results: A total of 504 patients were analyzed. The frequency rates of complete relief, incomplete relief of symptoms, and failure after EBP were 75% (n = 377), 18% (n = 93), and 7% (n = 34), respectively. In a multivariate analysis, only the diameter of the needle used to perform dura mater puncture (odds ratio = 5.96; 95% confidence interval, 2.63-13.47;P < 0.001) and a delay in EBP less than 4 days (odds ratio = 2.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-6.51;P = 0.037) were independent significant risk factors for a failure of EBP.     

Dural Tissue Trauma and Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak after Epidural Needle Puncture: Effect of Needle Design, Angle, and Bevel Orientation

Background: The effects of epidural needle design, angle, and bevel orientation on cerebrospinal fluid leak after puncture have not been reported. The impact of these factors on leak rate was examined using a dural sac model. Dural trauma was examined using scanning electron microscopy.

Methods: Human cadaveric dura, mounted on a cylindrical model, was punctured with epidural needles using a micromanipulator. Tissue was punctured at 15 cm H2O (left lateral decubitus) system pressure, and leak was measured at 25 cm H2O (semisitting) pressure. Leak rates and trauma were compared for the following: (1) six different epidural needles at 90[degrees], bevel parallel to the dural long axis; (2) 18-gauge Tuohy and 18-gauge Special Sprotte(R) epidural needles, 30[degrees]versus 90[degrees]; (3) 18-gauge Tuohy, bevel perpendicular versus parallel to the dural long axis.

Results: With the 90[degrees] puncture, bevel parallel, the greatest leak occurred with a 17-gauge Hustead (516 +/- 319 ml/15 min), and the smallest leak occurred with a 20-gauge Tuohy (100 +/- 112 ml/15 min; P = 0.0018). A 20-gauge Tuohy puncture led to statistically significant reductions in leak (P value range, 0.0001-0.0024) compared with all needles except the Special Sprotte(R). With the 30[degrees]versus 90[degrees] angle, 30[degrees] punctures with an 18-gauge Tuohy produced nonstatistically significant leak reductions compared with the 18-gauge Tuohy at 90[degrees]. The puncture angle made no difference for the Special Sprotte(R). Nonsignificant reductions were found for the Special Sprotte(R) compared with the Tuohy. With the 18-gauge Tuohy bevel orientation, perpendicular orientation produced nonstatistically significant reductions in leak compared with parallel orientation.     

Dural Puncture with a 27-Gauge Whitacre Needle as Part of a Combined Spinal-Epidural Technique Does Not Improve Labor Epidural Catheter Function

Background: This prospective, double-blind, randomized study was designed to examine whether the combined spinal-epidural technique without subarachnoid drug administration improved epidural catheter function when compared with the traditional epidural technique.

Methods: After institutional review board approval and informed consent, 251 healthy laboring parturients were randomly assigned to either group DP (combined spinal-epidural technique with 27-gauge Whitacre needle dural puncture but without subarachnoid drug administration) or group NoDP (traditional epidural technique). Patient-controlled epidural analgesia was initiated with 0.11% bupivacaine and 2 [mu]g/ml fentanyl. Top-up doses in 5-ml increments of 0.25% bupivacaine were administered if needed. Previous power analysis revealed that a sample size of 108 patients/group was needed to show a clinically useful reduction of the catheter manipulation rate from 32% to 15%.

Results: In groups DP and NoDP, 107 and 123 evaluable patients, respectively, completed the study. Demographics and outcome variables measured, including epidural catheter manipulation and replacement rate, sacral sparing, unilateral block, number of top-up doses, average hourly epidural drug usage, highest sensory blockade level, and labor analgesia quality, were not different between groups. A subgroup of 18 patients without cerebral spinal fluid return during dural puncture had a higher catheter replacement rate than those of groups DP and NoDP, but it did not reach statistical significance.     

Headache after Attempted Epidural Block: The Role of Intrathecal Air

Background: Postmeningeal puncture headache (PMPH) is typically attributed to the loss of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). However, when it occurs after an attempted epidural puncture, it may be due to either CSF loss or, potentially, to the subarachnoid injection of air used as a part of "loss-of-resistance" testing. This study was performed to examine the relation between intrathecal air and PMPH.

Methods: Using a loss-of-resistance test with an air-filled (n = 1,812; air group) or saline-filled (n = 1,918; saline group) syringe, epidural block was performed in patients with acute or chronic pain. The dura was judged to be perforated not only when backflow of CSF was recognized in the needle but also when signs and symptoms solely attributable to meningeal perforation were seen, such as high spinal blockade or severe motor blockade. The incidence, onset time, and duration of PMPH in the air and saline groups were compared. In all patients with signs of meningeal perforation, brain computed tomography was examined.

Results: The incidence of PMPH in the air group (32 cases) was significantly higher than that in the saline group (5 cases), although the occurrences of meningeal perforation between the air (48 cases) and saline (51 cases) groups did not differ significantly. Intrathecal air bubbles were detected on brain computed tomography in both the deep supraspinal structures such as the ventricles, Silvian fissures and cisterns, and the superficial subarachnoid space in 30 of 32 patients with PMPH in the air group, whereas no intrathecal air bubbles were seen in the saline group. PMPH was significantly more rapid in onset and shorter in duration in the air group than that in the saline group.     

Efficacy of Rifampin-Levofloxacin as a Prophylactic Agent in Preventing Staphylococcus epidermidis Graft Infection

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the efficacy of levofloxacin in the prevention of vascular prosthetic graft infection in a rat model. METHODS: Graft infections were established in the subcutaneous tissue of 225 male Wistar rats by implantation of Dacron prostheses followed by topical inoculation with methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis. The study included a group without contamination, two contaminated groups without prophylaxis, two contaminated groups with intraperitoneal levofloxacin prophylaxis, two contaminated groups with intraperitoneal cefazolin prophylaxis, two contaminated groups with intraperitoneal teicoplanin prophylaxis and six contaminated groups with rifampin-soaked graft and intraperitoneal levofloxacin, cefazolin or teicoplanin prophylaxis. The grafts were removed after 7 days and evaluated by quantitative culture. RESULTS: The efficacy of levofloxacin against the methicillin-susceptible strain was not different to that of cefazolin or teicoplanin. Levofloxacin showed slight less efficacy than teicoplanin against the methicillin-resistant strain. The combination levofloxacin-rifampin demonstrated to be similarly effective to the combination rifampin-teicoplanin and more effective than the combination rifampin-cefazolin against both strains. CONCLUSIONS: Rifampin-levofloxacin combination seems useful for the prevention of late-appearing vascular graft infections caused by S. epidermidis.     

Effect of Prophylactic Epidural Morphine or Bupivacaine on Postoperative Pain after Upper Abdominal Surgery

Morphine 2 mg and 4 mg or bupivacaine 50 mg (another 50 mg 4 h later) was administered into the epidural space prior to general anaesthesia of 40 patients undergoing upper abdominal surgery. During anaesthesia, additional analgesics were not given. In the recovery room (4 h) the pain score (0–10) was lowest in the bupivacaine group (mean 2.4) followed by the 4 mg-morphine group (4.1), 2 mg-morphine group (5.3) and control group (5.7). Half of the patients of the bupivacaine group and those of the 4 mg-morphine group needed no analgesics in the recovery room. Later, in the ward (until next morning 7 am), only morphine patients (5/20) managed without postoperative analgesics. The mean number of requests for analgesics during that time was: 4 mg-morphine 1.3, 2 mg-morphine 1.9, bupivacaine 2.7, and control 2.9. Episodes of hypotension and nausea were most frequent in the bupivacaine group. No serious respiratory complications occurred; 4 h after anaesthesia three patients in the 4 mg-morphine group and two in the bupivacaine group had capillary Pco₂ values above 6.65 kPa (50 mmHg), the highest being 7.1 kPa. In two additional patients with choledochal drainage (T-tube), the intracholedochal pressure was shown to rise about 2 kPa (15 mmHg) and 2.7 kPa after epidural injection of 2 mg and 4 mg, respectively. A pressure peak was reached within 10 min and at 75 min the pressure was still 0.7-1.3 kPa above the initial level.     

不同体位不同麻醉平面对剖宫产病人呼吸功能的影响

３１例ＡＳＡⅠ～Ⅱ级择期剖宫产病人术前坐、卧位肺功能测定：卧位时ＦＶＣ、ＦＶ１．０、ＦＶ３．０、ＭＢＣ、ＥＲＶ显著降低（Ｐ＜０．０１）。ＩＲＶ显著增加（Ｐ＜０．０１），ＶＣ、ＦＶ０．５、ＭＭＦ有降低（Ｐ＜０．０５）。不同麻醉平面麻醉前后肺功能比较，低平面组（Ｔ８以下）ＦＶＣ、ＶＣ、ＦＶ１．０、ＦＶ３．０、ＭＢＣ仍继续下降，而高、中平面组呈上升趋势或变化不大。观测结果提示由坐位改为平卧位，通气贮备和肺容量明显降低，Ｔ４以下阻滞平面对通气贮备和肺容量无明显影响；吸气肌未被阻滞时，腹肌的松弛有使肺通气贮备回升的趋势。