Clinical Guideline Postdural Puncture Headache

In 2023, an international multidisciplinary working group published the first comprehensive consensus guidelines on the prevention, diagnosis and management of Post-Dural Puncture Headache (PDPH). The guidelines recognise PDPH as a significant complication of lumbar puncture, spinal anaesthesia and inadvertent dural puncture, and provide evidence-based recommendations to improve patient care. 

The consensus statement acknowledges that while many patients recover, persistent symptoms can occur and should not be dismissed. The authors advocate for a patient-centred approach that considers the full clinical picture rather than relying solely on rigid diagnostic criteria.

This guideline was first published in the JAMA Network Open, August 2023.

Read the full paper here: Consensus Practice Guidelines on Postdural Puncture Headache From a Multisociety, International Working Group, August 2023