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Blood Patch in a Jehovah's Witness: Case Report of a Novel Arterial-to-Epidural Closed-Circuit Technique
Kevin R Olsen1, Ashley L Screws, Stephen O Vose
1From the Department of Anesthesiology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida.
Jehovah's Witness patients have unique perioperative challenges involving blood products. We describe the use of a novel method to maintain a closed circuit between a Jehovah's Witness patient's arterial blood and the epidural space while performing a blood patch for postdural puncture headache. Previously described methods have utilized venous catheters to maintain a closed circuit between the body and the epidural space. This is the first report we are aware of that utilizes a closed-circuit arterial blood supply to create an epidural blood patch in a Jehovah's Witness patient.
Jehovah's Witness patients have unique perioperative challenges involving blood products. We describe the use of a novel method to maintain a closed circuit between a Jehovah's Witness patient's arterial blood and the epidural space while performing a blood patch for postdural puncture headache. Previously described methods have utilized venous catheters to maintain a closed circuit between the body and the epidural space. This is the first report we are aware of that utilizes a closed-circuit arterial blood supply to create an epidural blood patch in a Jehovah's Witness patient.

