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Study aim
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Comparison of aminophylline and paracetamol for the prevention of post-dural puncture headache in women undergoing cesarean section under spinal anesthesia
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Design
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This controlled, parallel-group, double-blinded, randomized phase 3 trial will include 100 women. Randomization will use computer-generated block sequences with allocation concealment.
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Settings and conduct
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The study will be conducted at Al-Habobi Hospital, Nasiriyah, Iraq. Participants and outcome assessor will be blinded to group allocation. The intervention group will receive intravenous aminophylline, and the control group will receive intravenous paracetamol. All participants will receive standardized care and will be followed daily for five days after spinal anesthesia.
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Participants/Inclusion and exclusion criteria
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Inclusion criteria: Pregnant women aged 18-45 years, candidate for elective cesarean delivery, ASA I-II, singleton pregnancy, eligible for spinal anesthesia, and successful spinal anesthesia achieved on the first needle insertion. Exclusion criteria: History of headache or post-dural puncture headache, contraindications to spinal anesthesia, spinal abnormalities, multiple pregnancy, BMI >40 kg/m², failed spinal anesthesia, neurological disorders, hypersensitivity to study drugs, or significant cardiovascular or seizure disorders.
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Intervention groups
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All participants will receive standardized perioperative care, and spinal anesthesia will be administered according to the institutional protocol. Participants will then be randomly assigned to one of two groups. Group A will receive intravenous aminophylline, and Group B will receive intravenous paracetamol.
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Main outcome variables
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Primary outcome: Incidence of post-dural puncture headache within five days. Secondary outcomes: Post-dural puncture headache severity, onset time of post-dural puncture headache, and drug-related adverse effects within five days.