Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Epidural Blood Patch Utilization Among Obstetric Patients in the United States: A...

Racial and ethnic disparities in health care delivery can lead to inadequate peripartum pain management and associated adverse maternal outcomes. An epidural blood patch (EBP) is the definitive treatment for moderate to severe postdural puncture headache (PDPH), a potentially debilitating neuraxial anesthesia complication associated with significant maternal morbidity if undertreated. In this nationwide study, we examine the racial and ethnic disparities in the inpatient utilization of EBP after obstetric PDPH in the United States.

In this retrospective observational study, we used the National Inpatient Sample, a nationally representative database of discharge records for inpatient admissions in the United States, from 2016 to 2020. We analyzed delivery hospitalizations of women of childbearing age (15-49 years) diagnosed with PDPH. Adjusting for maternal and hospitalization characteristics as confounders, we used a multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression model to compare the rates of EBP utilization by race and ethnicity. Secondarily, among hospitalizations with an EBP, we examined the association between race and ethnicity and the timing of the EBP procedure.

We analyzed 49,300 delivery hospitalizations with a diagnosis of PDPH. An EBP was performed in 24,075 (48.8%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 47.8%-49.9%) of these hospitalizations. EBP was performed in 52.7% (95% CI, 51.3%-54.1%) of White non-Hispanic patients with PDPH. Compared to White non-Hispanic patients, Black non-Hispanic (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.69; 99% CI, 0.56-0.84), Hispanic (aOR = 0.80, 99% CI, 0.68-0.95), and Asian or Pacific Islander patients (aOR = 0.74, 99% CI, 0.58-0.96) were less likely to receive an EBP. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) time to perform an EBP was 2 (1-3) days after admission, with 90% of EBP procedures completed within 4 days of admission. There was no significant association between race and ethnicity and the timing of EBP placement.

In this nationwide analysis of delivery hospitalizations from 2016 to 2020 in the United States with a diagnosis of PDPH, we identified racial and ethnic disparities in the utilization of EBP. Minoritized patients identified as Black non-Hispanic, Hispanic, or Asian or Pacific Islander were less likely to receive an EBP for the treatment of PDPH compared to White non-Hispanic patients. Suboptimal treatment of PDPH may be associated with adverse long-term outcomes such as postpartum depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and chronic headaches. Racial and ethnic disparities in EBP utilization should be further investigated to ensure equitable health care delivery.