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Published on: March 26, 2019
Postdural puncture headache in paediatric oncology patients
N Burt1, B H Dorman, S T Reeves
1Department of Anesthesiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425-2207, USA. burtn@musc.edu
Canadian Journal of Anaesthesia = Journal Canadien D'Anesthesie
|October 30, 1998
Summary
Pediatric patients undergoing dural puncture have a higher risk of typical postdural puncture headache (PDPHA) compared to those with bone marrow aspiration. Atypical headaches are also common in children after these procedures.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Neurology
- Anesthesiology
Background:
- Dural puncture is a common procedure in pediatric oncology.
- The correlation between dural puncture and headache in pediatric patients is not well-established.
- Atypical headache incidence following dural puncture in children requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of typical postdural puncture headache (PDPHA) in pediatric patients after dural puncture.
- To evaluate the incidence of atypical headache in pediatric patients following dural puncture.
- To compare headache incidence between dural puncture and bone marrow aspiration procedures in pediatric oncology patients.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 66 pediatric patients undergoing 128 procedures (lumbar punctures and bone marrow aspirations).
- Patients were randomized into four groups based on age (preteens and adolescents) and procedure type.
- Headache incidence was documented by blinded personnel at multiple time points post-procedure.
Main Results:
- Headache incidence was significantly higher (9.1%) after lumbar puncture compared to bone marrow aspiration (P < 0.05).
- No significant difference in typical PDPHA incidence was observed between preteens and adolescents.
- Atypical headache incidence did not differ between dural puncture and bone marrow aspiration groups across age categories.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric patients undergoing dural puncture have an increased risk of typical postdural puncture headache.
- Atypical headache is a common occurrence in pediatric patients following dural puncture or bone marrow aspiration.
- Age does not appear to influence the incidence of typical PDPHA or atypical headache after dural puncture in pediatric patients.
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