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Headache is the most common complication after lumbar puncture (LP), with reported frequency rates ranging from 6% to 36% of patients.1 August Bier (1861-1949) was the first to describe the phenomenon of post-dural puncture headache in his patients and experienced the same effect when he had the procedure performed on himself.2 Most (90%) post-LP headaches occur within 3 days of the procedure and are characteristically described as being present when the patient is in the upright position and diminished in intensity when supine.
The cause of post-LP headache is uncertain. One idea is that it is possibly due to low cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure as a result of CSF leakage through a dural and arachnoid tear produced by the puncture that exceeds CSF production. The continuous decrease in CSF pressure may lead to subsequent stretching of pain-sensitive structures. Another notion is that cerebral vasodilatation, in addition to traction, is responsible for headache following LP.
Various treatments for this condition are thought to be effective, even though its cause is unclear. Many of these are implemented routinely in daily practice—including increased fluids, bed rest, and caffeine—despite the lack of evidence of their effectiveness.
There is no evidence supporting the use of increased fluids to prevent post-LP headache.1 The only prospective study of this intervention involved oral hydration. Dieterich and Brandt performed a prospective study of 100 age-matched, randomly allocated neurologic patients and found no correlation between the incidence of post-LP headache and the amount of fluid intake.3 Half of the patients were asked to drink 1.5 L of fluids per day during the 5 days after an LP, and the other half was asked to drink 3.0 L of fluids per day for the same period. The intensity of the headache was classified into four grades according to the severity and onset of symptoms after getting up from the LP. The proportion of symptom-free individuals was 64% in both groups of patients; therefore, the incidence of post-LP headache is independent of fluid intake
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