JOURNAL ARTICLE
REVIEW
Add like
Add dislike
Add to saved papers

Uses and technique of pediatric lumbar puncture.

OBJECTIVES: To review diagnostic and therapeutic indications, contraindications, complications, and technique of pediatric lumbar puncture with emphasis on diagnosis of bacterial meningitis in bacteremia, cellulitis, and fever with seizures and to discuss cerebrospinal fluid findings in partially treated infection and traumatic blood-contaminated spinal tap.

RESEARCH DESIGN: Literature review.

CONCLUSIONS: We recommend lumbar puncture for children younger than 1 year with bacteremia, children with Haemophilus influenzae type B cellulitis, and children with fever and seizures not classified as simple. Pretreatment with antibiotics rarely changes cerebrospinal fluid characteristics such that a diagnosis of bacterial meningitis would be obscured. In a traumatic spinal tap, the equation to predict cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis based on the peripheral blood cell count is invalid. When used together, cerebrospinal fluid glucose level, Gram's staining, and observed-to-expected ratio of white blood cells are highly reliable in diagnosing bacterial meningitis.

Full text links

We have located links that may give you full text access.
Can't access the paper?
Try logging in through your university/institutional subscription. For a smoother one-click institutional access experience, please use our mobile app.

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

Mobile app image

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.

By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.

Your Privacy Choices Toggle icon

You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app