Does Needle Gauge or Tip Design Prevent Postdural Puncture Headache?

The meta-analysis identified 66 studies including 17,067 patients, of which 36 studies (n=9,378 patients) were included in the primary analysis. The indication for the lumbar puncture among these 36 studies was anesthesia (30 studies), myelography (3 studies), and diagnostic lumbar puncture (3 studies). Traumatic needle tips resulted in a higher risk of postdural puncture headache compared with atraumatic needle tips (RR 2.14; 95% CI 1.72 to 2.67). The quality of evidence was moderate, noting concerns about allocation concealment and random sequence generation.

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