EJMS

Abstract

Background: Post dural puncture headache (PDPH) can be developed after either spinal or epidural anesthesia during cesarean delivery with incidence of 1%.Several reports mentioned the correlation between maternal obesity and the occurrence of this morbidity with conflicting results. Objective: is to outline the impact of the maternal body mass index (BMI) on the development of PDPH in pregnant ladies following cesarean delivery. Methods: A prospective comparative study included 80 pregnant ladies underwent spinal anesthesia for cesarean section. Patients were allocated into two equal groups according to their BMI with cutoff value 30 kg/m2. 40 Women with BMI <30 in group I, while 40 women with BMI >30 in group II. Both groups were compared regarding the incidence of PDPH in addition to the descriptive characters of the headache including intensity, onset time and duration. Results: Both groups were matching in their age, gravidity and parity. Increased body weight, height and subsequent BMI was observed in the second group in comparison to the first group but without statistical significance. Comparison between the groups revealed significantly higher incidence (25%) of PDPH in the first group compared to (12.5%) in the second one. Severity of the headache was comparable between both groups. Onset and duration of the headache didn’t show statistical difference between the studied groups. Conclusion: Incidence of PDPH may be increased in pregnant women undergoing CS in relation to lower body mass index.