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Success rate of elective lumbar puncture at a major Melbourne neurology unit
Peter Williams1, Genevieve Tait2, Tissa Wijeratne3
1Anesthesia Registrar, Medical Student, Western Health, Gordon Street, Footscray, Victoria, Australia.
Background:
Lumbar puncture remains an important diagnostic and therapeutic procedure in clinical neurology. Failed lumbar punctures can result in a delay in diagnosis. Ultrasound may have a role in increasing successful lumbar puncture rates.
Methods:
Data was collected retrospectively from patient notes who had an elective lumbar puncture from January 2012 to August 2015.
Results:
During this four-year period, 74 patients underwent a neurologic outpatient lumbar puncture. Of these 74 lumbar punctures, 53 were successful (28% failure rate).
Conclusions:
This study found a 28% failure rate of conventional palpation-guided lumbar puncture. Ultrasound may provide an exciting opportunity to optimize lumbar puncture procedures and improve patient experience and diagnostic outcomes.
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