at home with a spinal leak?

my daughter went into the naval hospital with meningitis a week ago. Now home she is still suffering a great deal of pain. we have found out that she has a spinal leak.. is this life threatening? and what can I do as her mother? they want to do a "blood patch"?  

[Sara Khan]

Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with your doctor.

Without the ability to examine you and obtain a history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of your symptoms is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.


Unfortunately one of the rare complications of a spinal tap is a spinal or a cerebrospinal fluid ( CSF) leak. You should rest assured that this is not a life threatening condition, but rather an annoying one. Low CSF pressure results in constant headaches, which improve with lying down and are worse with standing up. Most of the times, the "leak" closes off on it's own with in a week. It can be treated with intravenous fluids and caffeine intake. If however it does not spontaneously close, a procedure called a blood patch can be done. In simple terms, some of the patients blood is injected in to the spinal fluid. The blood clots of the site of the leak. If your daughter has not responded to any medications and still suffers from a headache, then a blood patch would be the right procedure to do. Side effects are rare, and may include local pain which usually resolves on its own, infection or bleeding. Sometimes people may require more then one blood patch to relieve the symptoms.

I hope this information helps you. Wishing your daughter a speedy recovery.