Interventional radiology is a wideranging specialty which offers a variety of minimally invasive procedures for different organ systems. Consultations for both inpatient and outpatient procedures are available at our interventional radiology clinic at our rainbow location. Called an epidural blood patch, the procedure involves taking a small amount of the patient s blood from their arm and then injecting it into the epidural space near the original puncture site. Each patient achieved significant longterm improvement of clinical symptoms and csf leak related image findings. The definitive treatment is performing an ebp with approximately 85% success rate. In particularly difficult instances the use of carm radiography or. Very rarely does the blood patch not provide relief for the patient, but if it does not work the procedure may have to be repeated.
The autologous epidural blood patch ebp was first shown to be. Abdominal imaging division department of radiology. After mri and discussions with neurology, radiology, and the patient, we proceeded with an epidural blood patch. Epidural blood patch in a patient with multiple sclerosis. An epidural blood patch is a relatively simple procedure in which blood drawn from an intravenous line in your arm is injected into the epidural space in your spine. Duke is one of only three centers in the country that has been working continuously on this problem over the past ten. Small leaks can be patched by injecting the patients own blood around the leak through a needle inserted though the skin by our expert neuroradiologists under the careful guidance of ct. Consultations for both in patient and out patient procedures are available at our interventional radiology clinic at our rainbow location. Patients were considered to have imagingconfirmed intracranial.
Our doctors are also experts at making the diagnosis of spinal fluid leak through the use of diagnostic mri, ct myelography and ct cisternography. Pain management can allow for patients to maintain daily activities until more extensive treatment, like surgery, can take place. The leak was later treated by a ctguided blood patch at the c12 level. An example of subjective data is a the patient appears to have a productive cough.
A small amount of the patients blood is injected into. Following a multidisciplinary discussion with input from neurology, radiology, and anesthesia the collaborative conclusion was that the patients headache was due to a ruptured tarlov cyst, and some relief might result from an. Collaboration w proceduralist is highly recommended. An epidural blood patch is a relatively simple procedure in which blood drawn from an. The procedure can be done blind or under fluoroscopic or ct guidance, and is performed predominantly by radiologists and anesthesiologists. To prepare the blood patch, 10 ml of the patient s clotted blood was placed in a 20ml syringe. In the procedure, a doctor will take a blood sample from a patient and then inject that blood back into a hole in the epidural space.
The procedure can be used to relieve post dural puncture headaches caused by lumbar puncture spinal tap. C the patient states that he experiences extreme pain in the upright position. If conservative treatment fails, active treatment is required such as a blood patch. Radiology administration puh suite e204, 200 lothrop street pittsburgh, pa 152, u. Using imageguided technology, a physician may block the hole by injecting a tiny bit of the patients own blood.
Joint injections and other pain management procedures can be scheduled by calling 215 4816226. It may include links to online content that was not created by michigan medicine and for which michigan medicine does not assume responsibility. Epidural blood patch department of radiology radiology. An epidural blood patch is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat a puncture of the dura, a membrane in the spine. A physician should be available to answer questions and provide patient management following the procedure. Expanding the input of radiologists in patient management, therefore, makes sense in a healthcare system driven increasingly to deliver value. The blood clots, helping to patch punctures after a spinal tap procedure. Developing the most advanced and accurate imaging services in northern california. This judgment is built on collective expertise derived from members of the patient management team. Called an epidural blood patch, the procedure involves taking a small amount of the patients blood from their arm and then injecting it into the epidural space near the original puncture site. Outpatient procedures are performed at pueblo medical imaging, while inpatient procedures are performed at the dignity st. Epidural blood patch ebp the patients own blood is injected into the epidural space, the space just outside the dura within the spinal canal, forming a patch over the dura. Safety concerns about an epidural blood patch in a patient. Clinical management issues in interventional radiology.
Effect of intraparenchymal blood patch on rates of. Alternatively, dedicated spine imaging such as heavily t2weighted fatsaturated mri or ct myelography may demonstrate direct evidence of a csf leak. Blood patch should be performed as close to the source of the leak as possible or the level below. Epidural blood patch ebp to treat postdural puncture headache pdph in an ms patient may be of concern because of the potential for this to interfere with axonal conduction. Of the 22 patients treated with pleural blood patching, three patients. The blood patch technique did not lower the rate of pneumothorax or chest tube insertion. Interventional radiology abington jefferson health. An epidural blood patch ebp is a procedure in which a small volume of. The autologous epidural blood patch ebp was first shown to be effective in the treatment of these lowpressure headaches in the 1970s. Pueblo medical imaging las vegas interventional radiology. In the end, clinical judgment is the key to improving patient outcome.
Learn more about this minimally invasive procedure from the experts at newtonwellesley hospitals pain management service. Cervical dural csf leak on mri and ct treated by blood patch. Autologous blood patch injection versus hydrogel plug in. If you get a spinal headache after a procedure, the anesthesiologist can create a patch with your blood to seal the leak. Dominic hospital 969 lakeland drive, jackson, ms 39216 601 2002000 email protected. Patientcentered radiology, indisputedly, is a moving target. Prior to injection therapeutic solution post procedure monitoring. Epidural blood patch imaging glossary patients ur medicine. Fluoroscopy is a medical imaging technique that uses xray technology to produce images of the internal body structure. The patient did not show any postural symptoms from the day after treatment. Interventional radiology provides minimally invasive, imageguided procedures for your patients diagnosis and treatment. To put the blood patch in place, the anesthesiologist will.
About radiology management radiology management has been the top professional journal for leaders in medical imaging management for over 40 years. We also use ct guidance to perform a blood patch for headaches as a result of a previous lumbar puncture or due to a spontaneous spinal fluid csf leak. Health care reform and an increasingly engaged base of patients who want to better understand their diseaseand imaging optionswill continue to change how patientcentered radiology is defined and delivered moving forward. To prepare the blood patch, 10 ml of the patients clotted blood was placed in a 20ml syringe. Learn more about this minimally invasive procedure from the experts at newtonwellesley hospital s pain management service. Epidural blood patch is a treatment option for patients with craniospinal hypotension or post lumbar puncture headaches. Autologous blood patch injection versus hydrogel plug in ct.
In general, these procedures are more comfortable, have shorter recovery periods and have fewer risks and complications when compared to open surgical procedures. Often a medical emergency occurs when a patient is transported to or from the radiographic suite or in the radiographic area. In successful procedures, the patient s symptoms will objectively improve some only temporarily, and the imaging features of craniospinal hypotension will reverse 1,4,5. Focusing on education, the journal publishes research and best practices on healthcare management issues specific to medical. This technique was very effective at fragmenting the clotted blood. After placement, a variety of therapies are performed. The operator should assess the patient during administration for any. This document contains information andor instructional materials developed by michigan medicine for the typical patient with your condition. Jun 19, 2017 however, 48 hr later, her symptoms remained.
The good outcome suggests that this was the correct choice despite our concerns about the increased risks of performing an epidural blood patch in the presence of a large epidural fluid accumulation. In our experience with pleural blood patching, we have used a much smaller volume 415 ml. The blood patches are planned, and the skin is marked for the ctguided. Out patient procedures are performed at pueblo medical imaging, while in patient procedures are performed at the dignity st. Common procedures and associated bleeding risks low and high bleeding risk procedures below are in reference to pts on. We present three patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension who failed conservative treatment and were treated with imageguided epidural blood patch close to the cerebrospinal fluid csf leak site.
This syringe was connected through a stopcock to a second syringe. An epidural blood patch is a treatment for spinal headaches. Other causes of csf leaks may be due to surgery or trauma. Selective nerve root block, lumbar, thoracic, cervical, occipital. The most important risk factors for postlp complaints were related to patient characteristics. Ct guidance using 10 ml of blood, the patients symptoms and mri findings had resolved figure 1b. The blood was injected back and forth from one syringe to the other several times. The proposed mechanism of action of pleural blood patching is formation of a patch of clotted blood that adheres to the site of air leakage. Ctguided blood patching has been described as a treatment option for. Fluoroscopicallyguided epidural blood patch for spontaneous.
A cutting bevel needle type appeared to be the only procedurerelated risk factor for typical plph. Blood patch university of florida department of radiology. Expanding the role of radiology in patient management. The patient should be observed following the examination. Outpatient management of pneumothorax after fineneedle aspiration. The success rate of nontargeted epidural blood patch is variable, reported between 5095% for craniospinal hypotension and 9099% for post lumbar puncture headache.
Autologous blood patch for persistent air leak special case info. Following a multidisciplinary discussion with input from neurology, radiology, and anesthesia the collaborative conclusion was that the patients headache was due to a ruptured tarlov cyst, and some relief might result from an epidural blood patch ebp. Epidural blood patch technique, recovery, and success rate. Even with normal axons, pressure can interfere with impulse conduction, and it is unknown whether affected axons of the ms patient are particularly vulnerable to the.
Consensus guidelines for lumbar puncture in patients with. The injection is done with the patient lying on his or her abdomen. In successful procedures, the patients symptoms will objectively improve some only temporarily, and the imaging features of craniospinal hypotension will reverse 1,4,5. In the postsurgical setting, 50150 ml of blood is commonly used for this procedure. Ctguided epidural blood patching of directly observed or.
This is most often done with fluoroscopic guidance and intravenous sedation by an anesthesiologist or a radiologist. It may include links to online content that was not created by michigan medicine and for which michigan medicine. Spinal cerebrospinal fluid csf leak, also known as spontaneous intracranial hypotension is a debilitating medical condition as a result of this leakage, patients with this condition suffer from debilitating headaches. This is done by inserting an needle into the same space or a space just next to. Therefore all students or any radiology staff involved in patient care must be qualified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation cpr, which is the restoration of function of the heart and lungs after apparent death. Although degree of patient management may be outside the standard scope of patient care to which some interventional radiologists are accustomed, due to the nature of uae as a clinical treatment with extensive patient care issues, it is imperative that a clinical care process be set up to optimize clinical success and patient satisfaction. When a radiographer is obtaining a patient history, both subjective and objective data should be obtained. Usefulness of the blood patch technique after transthoracic. Epidural blood patch treatment for headache caused by a. Success rates for blood patches are 90% for the first blood patch, and 95% for the second blood patch. Normal activities may be resumed shortly after the blood patch has had time to congeal. Each patient achieved significant longterm improvement of clinical symptoms and. This procedure is commonly done to treat spinal headache, usually resulting from of a loss of csf following a lumbar puncture or myelogram. Advanced imaging modalities including ct, ultrasound, and angiography are used to place needles and catheters into precise locations in the body.
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