The frequency of postdural puncture headache in different age groups.

Abstract

To compare the frequency of postdural puncture headache (PDPH) in younger and older age groups i.e. 30-50 years and 51-75 years in patients undergoing spinal anaesthesia. Cross-sectional comparative study. Anesthesia Department of Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, from June to December 2002. Two hundred patients, fulfilling the American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) I and II criteria, were included in the study and the results of PDPH in both age groups were compared and Chi-square test was applied. The level of significance was significant, if the p-value was less than 0.05. The occurrence of PDPH was more in young patients i.e. 30 patients (30%) in group A, as compared to 5 patients (5%) in group B (p<0.05) Female patients had higher frequency of PDPH in both groups. In group A, 20 female patients (40%) had PDPH as compared to 10 male patients (20%), while in group B, 4 female patients (8%) had PDPH as compared to 1 male patient (2%). The frequency of postdural puncture headache (PDPH) was less in older age group than younger age group and more frequent in females than males.