Instead, it is aimed at informing medical students in preparation for exams.A lumbar puncture may need to be performed for a variety of reasons, both Performing a lumbar puncture in a patient with any of the following problems may be contraindicated and in rare circumstances can lead to life-threatening complications. Lancet.

A lumbar puncture is a diagnostic and therapeutic procedure in which a spinal needle is passed into the subarachnoid space.It enables drainage or collection of cerebrospinal fluid as well as administration of intrathecal medications. 2.1 Lumbar puncture if coagulopathic; 2.2 CT Before Lumbar Puncture; 3 Procedure; 4 CSF Studies. What is a lumbar puncture?

Indications for lumbar puncture. A lumbar puncture (LP), or “spinal tap”, is an important and commonly used procedure carried out across a wide range of specialities. Therefore, a thorough review of the patient’s medical history and presenting complaint should always be sought beforehand, and senior review or neurosurgical advice taken if there is any doubt. In any of the above circumstances, imaging with CT or MRI should be undertaken before consideration of lumbar puncture. Lumbar puncture is a safe and simple procedure that can be performed with little risk of major complication if proper technique and indications are followed. 4.1 Standard; 4.2 Additional; 5 Evaluation. 1 Indications; 2 Contraindications. COVID-19 is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation. A comprehensive collection of clinical examination OSCE guides that include step-by-step images of key steps, video demonstrations and PDF mark schemes.A comprehensive collection of OSCE guides to common clinical procedures, including step-by-step images of key steps, video demonstrations and PDF mark schemes.A collection of communication skills guides, for common OSCE scenarios, including history taking and information giving.A collection of data interpretation guides to help you learn how to interpret various laboratory and radiology investigations.A comprehensive collection of medical revision notes that cover a broad range of clinical topics.A collection of surgery revision notes covering key surgical topics.A collection of anatomy notes covering the key anatomy concepts that medical students need to learn.A collection of interactive medical and surgical clinical case scenarios to put your diagnostic and management skills to the test. As an emergency diagnostic procedure, spinal puncture is indicated when CNS infection is suspected or to establish the diagnosis of subarachnoid hemorrhage when results of cranial computed tomography are normal.

The major contraindication is elevated intracranial pressure with evidence of a mass lesion. Signs and symptoms concerning for … It should be noted that this guide is not intended to be used for performing this procedure on a patient.

Lumbar puncture: Technique, indications, contraindications, and complications in adults; UpToDate® Brouwer MC, Thwaites GE, Tunkel AR, et al; Dilemmas in the diagnosis of acute community-acquired bacterial meningitis. A lumbar puncture is generally considered safe, but it can involve some risks. Each clinical case scenario allows you to work through history taking, investigations, diagnosis and management.A collection of free medical student quizzes to put your medical and surgical knowledge to the test!

Lumbar puncture may be performed as part of the initial work up of a sick child, or later in the course of an illness once the child has stabilised if there were initial contraindications. It is most commonly used diagnostically to detect CNS infections, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and inflammatory processes. 5.1 Delay in LP; 6 Complications; 7 External Links; 8 See Also; 9 References Lumbar puncture is a common emergency department procedure. 2012 Nov 10380(9854):1684-92. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61185-4. Introduce yourself to the patient including your Ask the patient if they have any Gather the appropriate equipment to perform a lumbar puncture (these often come as a sterile lumbar puncture set in many hospitals):It is important to warn the patient that this will Press the lumbar puncture needle to the patient’s skin over the insertion site and ask if it feels The needle passes through the following As the needle passes through the three defined ligaments, Once CSF is flowing through the lumbar puncture needle, you can CSF should be collected using an For some conditions, such as subarachnoid haemorrhage, it is important to Slowly remove the lumbar puncture needle and compress the site with some sterile gauze until you apply a dressing.When a lumbar puncture is performed for diagnostic reasons, the results can be interpreted with a thorough In patients presenting with clinical signs of CSF analysis may aid in the diagnosis of meningitis, multiple sclerosis, intracranial hemorrhage, or meningeal carcinomatosis. It is, therefore, important to understand its indications, the steps involved and the potential complications. Check out our brand new It is also worth learning the layers the needle passes through during the procedure, as this is a common question in medical exams (Figure 2). Lumbar puncture is a safe and simple procedure that can be performed with little risk of major complication if proper technique and indications are followed.