POSTURE AND POST-SPINAL HEADACHE

Abstract

Eighty obstetric patients receiving subarachnoid anaesthesia for second and third stage procedures, excluding Caesarean section, were studied. They were randomly allocated post-partum to either 24 h bed rest or early (6 h post spinal) mobilization. Patients were followed up at 48 h post-partum and the incidence and severity of post-spinal headache noted. There was a significantly greater incidence of severe spinal headaches in the “bed-rest” group and three patients in this group required blood patch treatment for their headache. Early mobilization is, therefore, the recommended management after spinal anaesthesia for these types of obstetric procedure.