Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2021 May 12:14:301-305.
doi: 10.2147/IMCRJ.S301536. eCollection 2021.

Case Report: Epidural Abscess Following Obstetric Epidural Anesthesia in Vietnam

Lam Duc Nguyen  1 , Toan Thanh Vo  2 , Cuong Van Tran  1 , Tam Thi-Thanh Hoang  1 , Phuoc Xuan Vu  3 , Kha Dong To  4   5 , Ha Thi-Ngoc Doan  1 , Anh Duy Nguyen  6
Affiliations
Case Reports

Case Report: Epidural Abscess Following Obstetric Epidural Anesthesia in Vietnam

Lam Duc Nguyen et al. Int Med Case Rep J. .

Abstract

Epidural abscess after obstetric epidural anesthesia occurs infrequently and may result in severe morbidity. We report a clinical case of an epidural abscess in Vietnam. A 31-year-old woman who was in labor was admitted to our hospital and given epidural anesthesia indicated to relieve labor pain. After three hours of anesthesia, cesarean section was indicated for the patient due to signs of fetal failure, the epidural catheter was then used to relieve pain for the first 48 hours postoperatively. On post-partum day 5 she presented with high fever of 39-40°C, fatigue, stimulation, dyspnea, and lumbar pain. The patient then suffered from sepsis and lower limb paralysis. She was diagnosed with epidural abscess based on the MRI of the lumbar spine. The abscess was treated by surgery for draining and appropriate antibiotics with a satisfactory outcome as she completely recovered her motor function and stable health status.

Keywords: analgesia; cesarean section; epidural abscess.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
MRI-longitudinal view, five days after epidural catheter insertion, showing L3-4 epidural abscess (arrow).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Axial MRI of lumbar epidural abscess.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Image of lumbar epidural abscess during surgery.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Moen V, Dahlgren N, Irestedt L. Severe neurological complications after central neuraxial blockades in Sweden 1990–1999. Anesthesiology. 2004;101(4):950–959. doi:10.1097/00000542-200410000-00021 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Cook TM, Counsell D, Wildsmith JAW; Royal College of Anaesthetists Third National Audit Project. Major complications of central neuraxial block: report on the Third National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists. Br J Anaesth. 2009;102(2):179–190. doi:10.1093/bja/aen360 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Wang LP, Hauerberg J, Schmidt JF. Incidence of spinal epidural abscess after epidural analgesia: a national 1-year survey. Anesthesiology. 1999;91(6):1928–1936. doi:10.1097/00000542-199912000-00046 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Tang H-J, Lin H-J, Liu Y-C, Li C-M. Spinal epidural abscess–experience with 46 patients and evaluation of prognostic factors. J Infect. 2002;45(2):76–81. doi:10.1053/jinf.2002.1013 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Makito K, Mouri H, Matsui H, Michihata N, Fushimi K, Yasunaga H. Spinal epidural hematoma and abscess after neuraxial anesthesia: a historical cohort study using the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database. Can J Anaesth. 2020. doi:10.1007/s12630-020-01827-w - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources