Auditory function after lumbar puncture

This study was undertaken to evaluate the incidence and degree of hearing loss by clinical and audiometric analysis after lumbar puncture and to determine the site of involvement in brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) studies. We also wanted to determine whether the degree of hearing loss is related to the size of the spinal needle used. Twenty patients were randomised for lumbar puncture into 2 groups, one using 20G and the other using 24G needle. Audiometry and brainstem auditory evoked response studies were carried out before and 24 hours after lumbar puncture. There was no statistically significant change in the hearing levels (on audiometry), before and after lumbar puncture, in cases belonging to both the groups (20G and 24G). There was no statistically significant change in the latency of each wave (on BAER) before and after lumbar puncture in cases belonging to both the groups (20G and 24G). No significant change either in hearing level on audiometry or in latency of BAER waves was noted when the two groups (20G, 24G) were compared with each other. In the present study, there was no indicator to suggest that the size of the lumbar puncture needle influenced auditory function.