INTRATHECAL ANESTHESIA IN PATIENTS UNDER 45 YEARS - INCIDENCE OF POSTDURAL PUNCTURE SYMPTOMS AFTER SPINAL-ANESTHESIA WITH 27G NEEDLES

Postoperative headache and backpain has limited the use of intrathecal anaesthesia in younger patients (15-45 years). We studied postoperati ve complaints among 133 healthy young patients (mean age 30.0 years, 4 7% females) who received spinal anaesthesia with a 27G needle. Postope ratively, 5 patients (4%) complained of postdural puncture headache (P DPH), 18 (14%) reported nonspecific headache, while 27 (20%) suffered from backpain. PDPH was not related to sex, age, day-care surgery, num ber of puncture attempts, or obstetric procedures. Backpain was signif icantly more common among females, and among in-patients. One hundred and sixteen patients (87%) would accept spinal anaesthesia if they wer e to undergo the same surgical procedure again. Compared to other stud ies, we find the incidence of postanaesthetic complaints to be accepta ble, also among day-care patients. The PDPH seemed to be lightly incap acitating, and only one patient required blood patching.