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Fever following an Epidural Blood Patch in a Child

Agnes I Hunyady1, Corrie T M Anderson, John D Kuratani

  • 1Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Seattle Children's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105-0371, USA.

Case Reports in Anesthesiology
|October 3, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric epidural blood patches can treat low cerebrospinal fluid pressure headaches but may cause fever. This case highlights diagnostic challenges and treatment considerations for this rare complication in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Anesthesiology
  • Neurosurgery

Background:

  • Intracranial hypotension in children can result from spontaneous or iatrogenic causes.
  • Pediatric epidural blood patches are increasingly used to manage cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics and alleviate associated headaches.
  • The safety profile of pediatric epidural blood patches requires further investigation due to limited data.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report a case of fever occurring in a child following an epidural blood patch procedure.
  • To discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges associated with complications of epidural blood patches in pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

  • Case report detailing a pediatric patient who developed fever after an epidural blood patch.
  • Review of clinical presentation, diagnostic workup, and management strategies.

Main Results:

  • A child experienced fever temporally associated with the administration of an epidural blood patch.
  • The case illustrates the difficulties in diagnosing and treating procedural complications in this population.

Conclusions:

  • While effective for intracranial hypotension, epidural blood patches may have associated risks in children.
  • Further research is needed to establish the safety and optimize the use of epidural blood patches in pediatric populations.

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