Biomaterial Database

Postdural puncture headache in obstetrics. 2002

Pamela Flood

Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA. pdf3@columbia.edu

Postdural puncture headache (PDPH; or "spinal headache) is the most common significant complication from regional anesthesia or analgesia in obstetrics. Recent advances in spinal needle design have dramatically decreased the incidence of headache after spinal anesthesia, and now the most common cause of PDPH is inadvertent puncture of the dura with an epidural needle. The diagnosis and treatment of a PDPH should usually be the responsibility of the anesthesiologist, but it is important for the obstetrician to be familiar with the clinical course and options for therapy, and the usual treatment strategies. This article discusses the differential diagnosis of postdelivery headache, the current understanding of the pathophysiology of PDPH, options for medical treatment, and the controversial issue of whether and when to treat the headache with an epidural blood patch.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D005260	Female		Females
D006261	Headache	The symptom of PAIN in the cranial region. It may be an isolated benign occurrence or manifestation of a wide variety of HEADACHE DISORDERS.	Cephalgia,Hemicrania,Bilateral Headache,Cephalalgia,Cephalodynia,Cranial Pain,Generalized Headache,Head Pain,Ocular Headache,Orthostatic Headache,Periorbital Headache,Retro-Ocular Headache,Sharp Headache,Throbbing Headache,Unilateral Headache,Vertex Headache,Bilateral Headaches,Cephalalgias,Cephalgias,Cephalodynias,Cranial Pains,Generalized Headaches,Head Pains,Headache, Bilateral,Headache, Generalized,Headache, Ocular,Headache, Orthostatic,Headache, Periorbital,Headache, Retro-Ocular,Headache, Sharp,Headache, Throbbing,Headache, Unilateral,Headache, Vertex,Headaches,Headaches, Bilateral,Headaches, Generalized,Headaches, Ocular,Headaches, Orthostatic,Headaches, Periorbital,Headaches, Retro-Ocular,Headaches, Sharp,Headaches, Throbbing,Headaches, Unilateral,Headaches, Vertex,Ocular Headaches,Orthostatic Headaches,Pain, Cranial,Pain, Head,Pains, Cranial,Pains, Head,Periorbital Headaches,Retro Ocular Headache,Retro-Ocular Headaches,Sharp Headaches,Throbbing Headaches,Unilateral Headaches,Vertex Headaches
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000767	Anesthesia, Epidural	Procedure in which an anesthetic is injected into the epidural space.	Anesthesia, Extradural,Anesthesia, Peridural,Epidural Anesthesia,Anesthesias, Epidural,Anesthesias, Extradural,Anesthesias, Peridural,Epidural Anesthesias,Extradural Anesthesia,Extradural Anesthesias,Peridural Anesthesia,Peridural Anesthesias
D000773	Anesthesia, Obstetrical	A variety of anesthetic methods such as EPIDURAL ANESTHESIA used to control the pain of childbirth.	Anesthesia, Gynecological,Anesthesia, Obstetric,Gynecologic Anesthesia,Paracervical Block,Anesthesia, Gynecologic,Block, Paracervical,Blocks, Paracervical,Gynecological Anesthesia,Obstetric Anesthesia,Obstetrical Anesthesia,Paracervical Blocks
D000775	Anesthesia, Spinal	Procedure in which an anesthetic is injected directly into the spinal cord.	Anesthesias, Spinal,Spinal Anesthesia,Spinal Anesthesias
D015360	Analgesia, Epidural	The relief of pain without loss of consciousness through the introduction of an analgesic agent into the epidural space of the vertebral canal. It is differentiated from ANESTHESIA, EPIDURAL which refers to the state of insensitivity to sensation.	Epidural Analgesia
D016362	Analgesia, Obstetrical	The elimination of PAIN, without the loss of CONSCIOUSNESS, during OBSTETRIC LABOR; OBSTETRIC DELIVERY; or the POSTPARTUM PERIOD, usually through the administration of ANALGESICS.	Obstetrical Analgesia,Analgesia, Obstetric,Obstetric Analgesia