• E Gisore, V Mung'ayi, and T Sharif.
• Department of Anaesthesia, Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, P.O. Box 30270 - 00100, Nairobi, Kenya.
• East Afr Med J. 2010 Jun 1;87(6):227-30.

BackgroundPost dural puncture headache can be a debilitating complication of subarachnoid anaesthesia for a new mother. Successful management of post dural puncture headache requires adherence to clear policies and protocols with close follow up of patients by an experienced obstetric anaesthetist.ObjectivesTo examine the cumulative incidence and severity of post dural puncture headache in obstetric patients who consented for spinal anaesthesia for Caesarean section.DesignProspective cohort study.SubjectsAll women who underwent Caesarean sections under spinal anaesthesia and fulfilled the inclusion criteria.SettingAga Khan University Hospital, a teaching and referral hospital in Nairobi, Kenya.ResultsThe overall cumulative incidence of post dural puncture headache was found to be 20.35 % but was significantly higher in patients in whom the quincke type of needle was used than in those whose spinal anaesthetics were administered using the pencil point needle (24.2% and 4.5% respectively: p=0.042).ConclusionsThe incidence of post dural puncture headache can be significantly reduced in the obstetric population at the Aga Khan University Hospital if the pencil point spinal needle was to be routinely used. We recommend that the Quincke needles should not be used in the obstetric population at the Aga Khan University Hospital.

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