Postspinal Headache and It's Treatment

Ihn, Bong Mu; Yoon, Kyung Bong; Kim, Chan; Choi, Ryoung

Abstract

Postlumbar puncture headache is a common complication of spinal anesthesia. It usually may be alleviated by adequate hydration, continuous recumbency, abdominal compression and analgesic medication. However, these conservative treatments are only symptomatic and epidural blood patch is curable approach based on pathophysiology. During the 3 year period from 1988 to 1990, 700 cases of spinal anesthesia were recorded by Wonju Christian Hospital, Wonju Medical College, Yonsei University. This study was primarily undertaken to observe several aspects of postspinal headache i.e. incidence, age and sex distribution, onset, duration and treatment. The results were as follows: 1) The overall incidence of headache was 10.6% (74 cases). 2) Headache occurred in highest frequency in patients in the third and fourth decades. 3) Frequency of headache was higher in women. 4) The onset of headache was within postop. 3 days. 5) The duration of headache was within 6 days. 6) a) 12 cases were cured spontaneously. b) 52 cases were cured by conservative treatment. c) 10 cases were cured by the epidural blood patch.