Clinical Manifestations and Risk Factors Analysis of Adverse Reactions in Syphilis Patients After Lumbar Puncture

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a crucial type of biological specimen for neurosyphilis diagnosis. This study aims to comprehensively analyse the clinical manifestations and risk factors of adverse reactions in syphilis patients following lumbar puncture (LP).

A total of 573 syphilis patients who underwent LP examinations between August 2023 and April 2024 at the Department of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, were selected. The clinical manifestations, onset timing, risk factors, and duration of relief from adverse reactions in these patients undergoing LP were statistically analysed.

Among 573 patients diagnosed with syphilis, 142 patients (24.8%) experienced adverse reactions following LP. Factors such as age, needle size, symptoms of paralysis, and the duration of postoperative bed rest were significantly associated with adverse reactions after LP (p < 0.05). Furthermore, age >30 years, the use of a 20G needle, and paralysis symptoms were identified as independent protective factors (p < 0.05), whereas bed rest duration >6 hours contributed to increased risk for adverse reactions (odds ratio [OR] = 3.544, p = 0.010). The average onset time for adverse reactions following LP was 14.34 ± 1.54 hours, while the average duration for resolution of these reactions was 5.52 ± 0.26 days postoperatively.

The high incidence of adverse reactions following LP in patients with syphilis poses challenges to restoring quality of life among affected patients. A thorough assessment of risk factors for adverse reactions could inform the selection of appropriate measures to mitigate the occurrence of such reactions.