Lumbar puncture is a procedure that usually aims to take a sample of cerebrospinal fluid that rotates the brain and spinal cord, by inserting water between the vertebrae of the lumbar region should occupy the subarachnoid space, which is a space between the layers it excavates. the spinal cord through which the fluid passes.
This technique is used to identify neurological changes that can be caused by infections, such as meningitis or encephalitis, diseases such as multiple sclerosis or subarachnoid hemorrhage, and can also be used to inject drugs into cerebrospinal fluid, such as chemotherapy or antibiotics. .
The lumbar puncture has several indications, including
Laboratory testing of cerebrospinal fluid to identify and evaluate diseases;
Measurement of cerebrospinal fluid pressure;
Spinal decompression;
Injection of medicines such as antibiotics and chemotherapy drugs;
Staging the treatment of leukemias and lymphomas;
Injection of contrast or radioactive substances for x-rays
Laboratory testing is designed to detect central nervous system disorders, such as bacterial infections, viral or fungal infections such as meningitis, encephalitis, or syphilis; in addition to identifying bleeding, cancer or diagnosing certain inflammatory or degenerative pathologies of the nervous system such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease or Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Before proceeding, no special preparation is required, except in the case of a clotting problem or the use of certain medications that interfere with the technique, such as anticoagulants.
The person may stand in one of the positions, tilted to one side with the wheels bent and the head attached to the chest, called a fetal position or sitting with the head and spine bent and arms folded.
Your doctor then applies an antiseptic solution to your lower back and looks for the area between the L3 and L4 or L4 and L5 vertebrae, injecting an anesthetic drug there. It then slowly enters between the vertebrae and a fine jet of water into the subarrachnoid space, from where the liquid and droplets flow through the water to be collected in a sterile test tube.
Finally, the extraction is performed and a spike is placed instead of the puncture, this procedure takes a few minutes, however, the doctor cannot obtain the sample of cerebrospinal fluid that has been inserted into the water, so it may be necessary to divert the direction of the water again from the puncture in another area.
This procedure is generally safe, with little chance of presenting complications or risks to the person. The side effect with which it may occur after a lumbar puncture is temporary headache due to reduced cerebrospinal fluid in the surrounding shingles, which could also prevent nausea and vomiting that could be avoided if the person accidentally falls.
It can also cause pain and discomfort in the lumbar region, which can be relieved with pain relievers recommended by your doctor and even a little time can cause infection or bleeding.
Lumbar puncture is contraindicated in the presence of intracranial hypertension, such as that caused by a brain mass due to risk of brain drainage and hernia, should not be performed in people who have an infection in the area where the puncture is to be performed. , in people who have a brain abscess.
Also, if you need to tell your doctor about the medicines you are taking, especially if you are taking blood thinners such as warfarin or clopidogrel, due to the risk of bleeding.
Cerebrospinal fluid samples are sent to the lab for analysis of various parameters such as appearance, which is usually clear and colourless, if a yellow or pink color or cloudy appearance occurs, this may indicate infection as well as the presence of microorganisms. such as bacteria, viruses or fungi.
In addition, total proteins and the number of white blood cells are evaluated, which, if high, indicates infection or inflammatory disease, if glucose is low, this could be a sign of infection with other diseases, as well as the presence of abnormal cells. may indicate this type of cancer.