2 Dose Neuraxial Morphine for Prevention of PDPH

Summary

Neuraxial analgesia (most commonly continuous epidural or combined spinal epidural) is the most effective modality available for pain relief during labor. Accidental dural puncture (ADP) with a large bore epidural needle and the resulting post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) is one of the most significant sources of anesthesia-related morbidity in parturients. Epidural blood patch (EBP) is the gold standard for treatment of PDPH, and although almost always effective, can result in another ADP, as well as low back pain and lower extremity pain. For this reason, effective measures to prevent PDPH when ADP occurs would be highly valuable. One small study in which 50 women were randomly allocated to receive 2 epidural injections of morphine or saline, demonstrated a beneficial effect of epidural morphine in decreasing the incidence of PDPH. This study aims to determine the efficacy of 2 doses of neuraxial (either epidural (EPID) or intrathecal) preservative-free morphine (PFM) to prevent headache after ADP in parturients.

Timeline

Start

2015-09

Primary completion

2020-01

Completion

2020-01

Publications

• Background Al-metwalli RR. Epidural morphine injections for prevention of post dural puncture headache. Anaesthesia. 2008 Aug;63(8):847-50. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2044.2008.05494.x. Epub 2008 Jun 10.
• Background Scavone BM, Wong CA, Sullivan JT, Yaghmour E, Sherwani SS, McCarthy RJ. Efficacy of a prophylactic epidural blood patch in preventing post dural puncture headache in parturients after inadvertent dural puncture. Anesthesiology. 2004 Dec;101(6):1422-7. doi: 10.1097/00000542-200412000-00024.

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Indications