Effect of pre-administration with aminophylline on the occurrence of post-dural puncture headache in women undergoing caesarean section by combined spinal-epidural anaesthesia

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of the pre-administration with aminophylline on the occurrence of post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) in women undergoing caesarean section by combined spinal-epidural anaesthesia (CSEA). METHODS: The study enrolled women undergoing elective caesarean sections with CSEA and randomly allocated them into two groups; for 30 min immediately after the infant was delivered, group A received 250 mg aminophylline intravenously and group B received an equal volume of normal saline. Demographic data, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative transfusion volume and the occurrence of PDPH during the first 7 days after the operation were recorded. Side-effects such as hypersensitivity, convulsion and arrhythmia were also recorded in the patients and infants in group A within 24 h after aminophylline administration. RESULTS: A total of 120 patients aged 24–38 years (pregnancy range, 38–42 weeks) were randomly allocated into two groups (n = 60). The incidence of PDPH in group A was significantly lower than group C (two of 59 [3.4%] versus 10 of 58 [17.2%], respectively). There were no related side-effects within 24 h after aminophylline administration in group A. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative intravenous infusion of 250 mg aminophylline reduced the incidence of PDPH after caesarean section under CSEA with no side-effects.