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Discitis associated with pregnancy and spinal anesthesia.
Zahid H Bajwa1, Charles Ho, Artem Grush
1Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachussetts.
Anesthesia and Analgesia
|January 29, 2002
Summary
This case report details a rare instance of discitis (intervertebral disk infection) caused by Streptococcus bovis following spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery. This highlights a previously unreported association between spinal anesthesia during labor and discitis.
Area of Science:
- Infectious diseases
- Neurosurgery
- Obstetrics
Background:
- Discitis, or intervertebral disk inflammation, is a rare complication of spinal surgery or discography, typically caused by bacterial infection.
- While often associated with surgery or invasive procedures, spontaneous discitis can occur in patients with comorbidities like diabetes or advanced age.
- Infectious discitis following pregnancy and spinal anesthesia has not been previously documented in English literature.
Observation:
- A case of discitis was identified following spinal anesthesia administered for a cesarean delivery.
- The causative agent was identified as the bacterium Streptococcus bovis.
- This represents a novel association, as Streptococcus bovis is an uncommon cause of discitis, and spinal anesthesia in this context is unprecedented.
Findings:
- The patient developed discitis after receiving spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery.
- Streptococcus bovis was confirmed as the infectious agent responsible for the discitis.
- This case establishes a new potential complication of spinal anesthesia in obstetric patients.
Implications:
- This report suggests that spinal anesthesia during labor and delivery may be an underrecognized risk factor for developing discitis.
- Healthcare providers should consider discitis in the differential diagnosis for patients experiencing back pain post-spinal anesthesia.
- Further research is warranted to understand the incidence and mechanisms of discitis following obstetric spinal anesthesia.