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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Take the CME quiz: Vol. 12 No. 6, December 2004 Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services E-mail this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My File Cabinet Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Pate, B. M. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Pate, B. M. Related Collections Hospital Care

AAP Grand Rounds 12:73-74 (2004)
© 2004 American Academy of Pediatrics

Morbidity Associated with Lumbar Puncture in Children and Adolescents

The first 20% of the full text of this article appears below.

Researchers from the Children’s Hospital of the University of Heidelberg, Germany, enrolled 112 children between the ages of 2 and 16 years who underwent diagnostic lumbar puncture in a prospective study designed to describe the frequency and nature of postpuncture complaints. Ninety-four percent of the punctures in the 61 female and 51 male patients were performed in the sitting position; 22 G needles with cutting bevels were used in 68% of the procedures and 20 G needles were used in 30%. In 39% of the punctures the bevel was directed laterally and in the remaining procedures the bevel was directed cephalad. Nineteen patients (13%) underwent multiple puncture attempts. The volume of aspirated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) ranged from 1-20cc (median: 6cc). CSF pleocytosis (>5cells/ul) was found in 30 patients (27%) and corresponding diagnoses were facial palsy caused by borreliosis, . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Brian M. Pate, MD, FAAP

Hospitalist Services, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO