Effect of Position During Spinal Anesthesia on Postdural Puncture Headache After Cesarean Section: A Prospective, Single-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND: The most common method of anesthesia for cesarean section is spinal anesthesia, and postdural puncture headache (PDPH) remains a major complication of this procedure. Nowadays, PDPH is a major cause of morbidity in parturients after spinal anesthesia. This headache is the third most popular reason for claims against anesthesiologists in obstetrics. The position after spinal anesthesia has been evaluated as a contributory factor in the occurrence of PDPH, but the position before spinal anesthesia has not yet been evaluated. OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to compare the incidence of PDPH following spinal anesthesia in the sitting position and in the left lateral decubitus position in parturients who underwent elective caesarian section. PATIENTS AND METHODS: After institutional approval, 100 parturients who had been scheduled for elective caesarian section with spinal anesthesia were enrolled in the study. Following patient preparation for the neuraxial blockade, spinal anesthesia was randomly performed in the sitting or in the left lateral decubitus position. Patients were interviewed for PDPH on either postoperative day one, two, or three. The incidence and intensity of PDPH were evaluated and compared using a numeric rating scale (NRS-11). RESULTS: A total of 94 patients were included in the data analysis. The overall incidence of PDPH was 12.7%. In the sitting group, ten patients (20.8%) had PDPH, compared with two patients (4.3%) in the lateral group (P = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Spinal anesthesia in the sitting position is more associated with significant PHDH than that in the left lateral decubitus position for patients undergoing elective caesarian section.