European journal of anaesthesiology
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Post-dural puncture headache: a comparison of the Sprotte and Yale needles in urological surgery.
One hundred elderly male patients undergoing transurethral surgery were allocated randomly to receive spinal anaesthesia with either a 26 gauge Yale needle or a 24 gauge Sprotte needle. Patients were visited within 48 h by an investigator who was unaware of the needle type used and specific enquiry was made about any headache which was characteristic of dural puncture. ⋯ This represents a highly significant (P < 0.005) reduction in the incidence of postdural puncture headache. The incidence of multiple attempts at dural puncture was also significantly (P < 0.05) reduced to 16% in the Sprotte group compared with 28% in the Yale group.