Lumbar Puncture Anatomy

Once the needle is in place you may be asked to change your position slightly. Lumbar puncture is carried out for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

Lumbar Punctures And Cerebrospinal Fluid Analysis

A thin hollow needle is inserted between the two lower vertebrae lumbar region.

Lumbar puncture anatomy. Idiopathic unidentified cause increased intracranial pressure icp. A lumbar puncture may need to be performed for a variety of reasons both diagnostic and therapeutic. Lumbar puncture should not be performed in the following situations.

During the procedure a local anesthetic is injected into your lower back to numb the puncture site before. Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid may be helpful in the diagnosis of infectious processes such as meningitis. ² cerebrospinal fluid analysis ie.

Presences of increased intracranial pressure icp regardless of cause can increase risk of cerebral or cerebellar brainstem herniation at the level of the foramen magnum. Vertebral deformities scoliosis or kyphosis in hands of an inexperienced physician. Basic anatomy and physiology the cerebrospinal fluid.

Epidural and spinal anesthesia for example are common in obstetric practice and involve the same technique as diagnostic lumbar puncture except that the needle tip is placed in the epidural space in the former. The complex anatomy of the lumbar spine is a remarkable combination of these strong vertebrae multiple bony elements linked by joint capsules and flexible ligamentstendons large muscles and. The anatomy of the lp.

As the child grows the vertebral column grows much faster than the spinal cord itself and by adulthood the spinal cord only reaches the inferior border. Lumbar puncture however still plays a critical role in both pediatric medical diagnosis and treatment today. Your thumbs will connect at or point to the approximate location of the l4 vertebrae.

Lumbar puncture is indicated for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Anatomy in lumbar puncture lp place palms of hands over psis so that superior edge is under your index finger. Distal to this point is the cauda equina and its nerve roots.

At birth the inferior end of the spinal cord is opposite the body of the third lumbar vertebrae l3. Meningitis multiple sclerosis subarachnoid haemorrhage. Also the administration of spinal and epidural anesthesia involves the use essentially of the same technique.

Use of anticoagulants eg warfarin enoxaparin etc due to increased risk of developing an epidural hematoma. This brief overview will primarily focus on the procedure and its diagnostic utility.

Lumbar Puncture In Pediatrics Learn Pediatrics