Efficacy of epidural blood patch in the obstetric population

A retrospective audit of obstetric epidurals was performed at Royal Surrey County Hospital. The aim was to determine the efficacy of epidural blood pa tch in the management of post-dural puncture headache following inadvertent dural puncture in the obstetric population, over a 5-year period between M arch 1993 and February 1998. During that time, there were 55 recognized dur al punctures (overall incidence 0.96%). A total of 62 epidural blood patche s were performed in 48 patients. Following treatment with one epidural bloo d patch, 33% of patients obtained complete and permanent relief, 50% partia l relief and 12% no relief. Twenty-nine percent of patients required a seco nd epidural blood patch of which 50% were completely successful, 36% were p artially successful and 14% gave no relief.