Effect of spinal needle size on headache after cesarean section

Comparison of 22-gauge and 25-gauge spinal needles on the incidence, severity, and duration of post-dural puncture headache in women undergoing elective cesarean section: A randomized controlled trial in Naseriaeh, Iraq

Status

Recruiting

Phases

Phase 3

Study type

Interventional

Source

IRCT

Registry ID

IRCT20130803014251N11

Enrollment

Registered

2026-05-16

Start date

2026-05-10

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2026-06-01

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Post-dural puncture headache.

Interventions

Intervention 1: Intervention group: In the intervention group, spinal anesthesia will be performed using a 25-gauge Quincke needle. Intervention 2: Control group: In the control group, spinal anesthes

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

Female

Age

18 Years to 45 Years

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Pregnant women aged 18-45 years Scheduled for elective C/S American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) grade I or II Singleton pregnancy Eligible for spinal anesthesia Successful spinal anesthesia on first needle insertion Ability to understand and provide written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: History of headache disorders within the past six months, such as migraine or tension-type headache Any history of PDPH Contraindications to neuraxial anesthesia (e.g., coagulopathy, soft tissue infections at the needle insertion site, severe hypovolemia) Spinal deformity or previous spinal surgery Multiple pregnancy Body mass index greater than 40 kilograms per square meter Known neurological disorders (e.g., seizures)

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Incidence of post-dural puncture headache. Timepoint: Each patient will be evaluated daily for five consecutive days after the C/S, either in person or via telephone follow-up. Method of measurement: International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD) criteria.	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Severity of post-dural puncture headache. Timepoint: Each patient will be evaluated daily for five consecutive days after the C/S, either in person or via telephone follow-up. Method of measurement: Visual Analog Scale.;Onset time of post-dural puncture headache. Timepoint: Each patient will be evaluated daily for five consecutive days after the C/S, either in person or via telephone follow-up. Method of measurement: A structured postoperative follow-up form.;Adverse effects of the intervention. Timepoint: Each patient will be evaluated daily for five consecutive days after the C/S, either in person or via telephone follow-up. Method of measurement: A structured postoperative follow-up form.	—

Measure

Time frame

Severity of post-dural puncture headache. Timepoint: Each patient will be evaluated daily for five consecutive days after the C/S, either in person or via telephone follow-up. Method of measurement: Visual Analog Scale.;Onset time of post-dural puncture headache. Timepoint: Each patient will be evaluated daily for five consecutive days after the C/S, either in person or via telephone follow-up. Method of measurement: A structured postoperative follow-up form.;Adverse effects of the intervention. Timepoint: Each patient will be evaluated daily for five consecutive days after the C/S, either in person or via telephone follow-up. Method of measurement: A structured postoperative follow-up form.

—

Countries

Iraq

Contacts

Public ContactDr. Morteza Nasiri

Tehran University of Medical Sciences

Mnasiri@sina.tums.ac.ir+98 21 8898 2907

Outcome results

None listed

Source: IRCT (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Jun 11, 2026