Which spinal needle design lowers the incidence of post-dural puncture headache compared with a standard cutting bevel needle?
- A Whitacre needle ✓
- B Quincke needle
- C Crawford needle
- D Tuohy needle
Correct answer: A. Whitacre needle
Explanation
The Whitacre is a pencil-point needle whose rounded, non-cutting tip spreads rather than cuts dural fibres, producing a smaller defect and a markedly lower rate of post-dural puncture headache. The Quincke and Crawford are cutting-bevel needles, and the Tuohy is a curved-tip epidural needle never intended for deliberate dural puncture. Needle gauge matters as well, but tip design is the decisive feature.
Reference: Miller's Anesthesia, 9th ed.
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