Post dural puncture headache in children: A report of two cases
Abstract
Postdural puncture headache (PDPH) in children has rarely been registered, but some recent studies indicate that children may also develop headache after lumbar puncture.We report two cases of PDPH that occurred in male children aged 6 yr (20 kg) and 10 yr (25 kg) who received subarachnoid block under sedation for herniotomy using 27 G Quincke spinal needle at L4-L5 space with 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine at a dose of 0.3 mg/kg. They developed typical postural headache after 24 hr & 48 hr respectively. They were successfully managed with complete bed rest, forced hydration, coffee drink twice, oral analgesics; and were discharged uneventfully. We conclude that now a days spinal anesthesia is being used in children and PDPH can occur in this population which can be treated on same lines as in adults. We believe that parents need to be informed about PDPH as there is inability of children to verbalise this pain.