Proof-of-concept observation demonstrates urine test strips identify cerebrospinal fluid in epidural aspirates, highlighting a rapid bedside tool to prevent accidental spinal anesthesia.
Aspiration of clear fluid from an epidural catheter is a recurring, high-stakes clinical challenge. It may be residual saline from loss of resistance, local anesthetic (LA), or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)—all visually indistinguishable. This matters because a full epidural LA dose given through an
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Hariharan et al. (2026) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: