Spenopalatine Ganglion Block for Treatment of Post-dural Puncture Headaches

Postdural puncture headache (PDPH) is a severe, debilitating complication of dural puncture that can arise from insertion of an epidural or spinal needle for labour analgesia. Presently, the conservative treatment options for PDPH have limited effectiveness and the gold standard treatment for PDPH, an epidural blood patch, is an invasive intervention with the potential for serious complications. There is a growing number of case reports and retrospective studies that suggest a sphenopalatine ganglion block (SPGB) with local anesthetic may offer an effective, safe, and easy-to-administer treatment option for PDPH in postpartum patients. We aim to conduct a feasibility study to assess whether a randomized controlled trial is feasible comparing whether early intervention SPGB with the option for repeat, patient self-administered SPGBs versus current standard conservative management can reduce the severity and duration of PDPH pain and improve patient functional status.