Why the study?
Post dural puncture headache is a known complication of spinal anesthesia in pregnant women, warranting comparison of different needle gauges for incidence and ease of lumbar puncture.
Does a 25G Whitacre spinal needle compared to a 27G Whitacre spinal needle reduce the incidence of PDPH or improve ease of lumbar puncture in patients undergoing elective caesarean section?
Does a 25G Whitacre spinal needle compared to a 27G Whitacre spinal needle reduce the incidence of PDPH or improve ease of lumbar puncture in patients undergoing elective caesarean section?
The use of a 25G Whitacre spinal needle provides easier lumbar puncture compared to a 27G needle without increasing the risk of post dural puncture headache in patients undergoing elective caesarean section.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
May guide needle selection in obstetric anesthesia; leaves open optimal gauge for PDPH reduction pending higher-level trials.
Background: One of the complications of spinal anesthesia especially in pregnant women is post dural puncture headache (PDPH). Objectives of the study was to compare the incidence of PDPH between 25G and 27G Whitacre spinal needles and to compare the ease of lumbar puncture. Materials and Methods: Two hundred elective caesarean section patients were allocated into two groups of 100 each. In Group 1, Spinal anesthesia was given with 25 G and in group 2 with 27 G Whitacre needle. Results: Incidence of PDPH between two groups is not statistically significant with zero percent incidence. It was technically easier to perform lumbar puncture with 25 G Whitacre needle than 27 G needle which was statistically significant. Conclusion: It is technically easier to perform lumber puncture with 25G whitacre needle with no difference in the incidence of PDPH between 25G and 27G Whitacre needle.
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HS et al. (2019) studied this question.
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