LUMBAR PUNCTURE DEFINITION y y

A lumbar puncture (also called SPINAL TAP) is a procedure to collect and look at the fluid (cerebrospinal fluid, CSF) surrounding the brain and the spinal cord During lumbar puncture, a needle is carefully inserted into the spinal canal low in the back (Lumbar area). Samples of CSF are collected. The samples are studied for color, blood cell counts, protein, glucose, and other substances. Some of the sample may be put into a special culture cup to see if any infection such as bacteria or fungi grows. The pressure of the CSF also is measured during the procedure

OBJECTIVE A lumbar puncture is done to:  Find a cause for symptoms possibly caused by infection (such as meningitis), inflammation, cancer, or bleeding in the area around the brain or spinal cord (such as subarachnoid hemorrhage)  Diagnose certain diseases of the brain and spinal cord, such as multiple sclerosis or Guillain-Barr syndrome  Measure the pressure of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the space surrounding the spinal cord. If pressure is high, it may be causing certain symptoms A lumbar puncture may also be done to:  Put anesthetics or medicines into the CSF. Medicines may be injected to treat leukemia and other types of cancer of the central nervous system  Put a dye in the CSF that makes the spinal cord and fluid clearer on X-ray pictures (myelogram). This may be done to see whether a disk or a cancer is bulging into the spinal cord In rare cases, a lumbar puncture may be used to lower the pressure in the brain caused by too much CSF. PREPARATION Before you have a lumbar puncture, tell your doctor if you: y Are taking any medicine. If you take medicine every day, ask your doctor whether you should take these medicine on the day of the lumbar puncture y Are allergic to any medicines, such as those used to numb the skin (anesthetics) y Have had bleeding problems or take blood-thinners, such as aspirin or Warfarin (Coumadin) y Are or might be pregnant y Take any herbal remedies. Some of these remedies may thin the blood Empty your bladder before the procedure