[Obstetrical epidural analgesia during labour: one dural puncture, repeated postural headaches, three blood patches]

T Villevieille1, P Pasquier, V Muller

  • 1Fédération d'anesthésie-réanimation, hôpital d'instruction des armées Bégin, 69, avenue de Paris, 94163 Saint-Mandé cedex, France. t-ville@orange.fr

We report the case of a patient in whom three blood patches had to be performed to treat a post-dural puncture headache following the insertion of an epidural catheter for labour analgesia. There are few data about repeated blood patches used to treat recurring symptoms after failure of a previous blood patch. The technical guidelines used to perform a first blood patch should be followed for the next procedure as well. The role of the cerebrospinal fluid leaking in the symptoms has to be verified, to avoid performing a useless blood patch and to miss another cause, which needs an urgent treatment.