OAA Small Project Grant
The successful applicant for the OAA Small Project Grant was:
Principal Applicant
Dr Roshan Fernando
Consultant Anaesthetist & Honorary Senior Lecturer, University College London Hospitals
Title
Does Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) correlate with severity of headache following accidental dural puncture (ADP) during epidural catheter placement for labour analgesia?
Amount
£15,750
Scientific Abstract
Post dural puncture headache (PDPH) is a debilitating complication of accidental dural puncture (ADP) with serious physical, emotional and psychological consequences for the mother and potentially prolonged hospital stay. At present there are no investigative tools to predict its development, prognosis or severity to enable appropriate management planning. Current management is largely conservative, with epidural blood patch required in up to 50% of affected women Such an approach frequently leads to delay in diagnosis, unnecessary suffering to mothers and premature discharge with subsequent readmission. We believe that MRI is able to identify the characteristic changes within the epidural space that follow dural puncture and could assist in predicting the development and severity of headache, allowing earlier recognition and prompt treatment of high risk mothers.
Interim report from Dr R Fernando.pdf
