Spinal analgesia and headache at Penang General Hospital

One hundred (100) consecutive patients who underwent spinal analgesia for surgical and orthopaedic operations were studied. Postural headache occurred in 9% of patients, the majority in those cases where large bore (l8G to 21G) needless were used. No other neurological complications were encountered. Conservative measures provided some relief of the headache. Epidural blood patch was found to be effective.