[Infectious complications after peridural obstetric anesthesia]

Infective complications after epidural anesthesia for delivery are uncommon. We reviewed 21 cases of epidural abscesses, 7 cases of meningitis and one spondylitis reported in the literature. These infections usually occurred in debilitated patients either by direct contamination at puncture or indirectly from a neighboring infection or from the blood stream. Prognosis depends on early diagnosis. The first manifestations are spinal stiffness or local pain. Signs of neurological deficiency come later at a stage when complete recovery is compromised. This emphasizes the importance of the clinical examination before delivery in search for skin or deep infections.