Lumbar Puncture: From 3 Different Sources
A procedure in which a hollow needle is inserted into the lower part of the spinal canal to withdraw cerebrospinal fluid or to inject drugs or
other substances. Lumbar puncture is usually carried out to collect a sample of cerebrospinal fluid in order to diagnose and investigate disorders of the brain and spinal cord (such as meningitis and subarachnoid haemorrhage). The procedure takes about 15 minutes and is carried out under local anaesthesia.
A procedure for removing CEREBROSPINAL FLUID (CSF) from the spinal canal in the LUMBAR region in order: (1) to diagnose disease of the nervous system; (2) to introduce medicaments – spinal anaesthetics or drugs. A hollow needle is inserted into the lower section of the space around the SPINAL CORD (see diagram) and the cerebrospinal ?uid withdrawn. The procedure should not be done too rapidly or the subject may develop a severe headache. Examination of the cerebrospinal ?uid helps in the diagnosis and investigation of disorders of the brain and spinal cord – for example, MENINGITIS and SUBARACHNOID HAEMORRHAGE. When using the procedure to inject drugs into the CSF, the operator must take care to inject only those agents speci?cally produced for CSF injection. Deaths have occurred because the wrong drug has been injected, and there have been demands for specialised equipment and strict procedures that will prevent such tragedies.
a procedure performed under local anaesthetic in which cerebrospinal fluid is withdrawn by means of a hollow needle inserted into the *subarachnoid space in the region of the lower back (usually between the third and fourth lumbar vertebrae). The fluid obtained is examined for diagnosis of meningitis, multiple sclerosis, and various other disorders of the brain and spinal cord. Lumbar puncture may also be performed to inject agents into the subarachnoid space. The procedure is usually without risk to the patient, but in patients with raised intracranial pressure it may be hazardous. CT and MRI scanning prior to lumbar puncture have greatly reduced the risk of performing the test in patients with unsuspected raised intracranial pressure. The commonest side-effect of the procedure is a headache that is worse on standing and reduces on lying down (*intracranial hypotension headache). See also Queckenstedt test.
A term used to denote structures in, or diseases affecting, the region of the loins (see LOIN) – as, for example, the lumbar vertebrae, lumbar abscess.... lumbar
Description of a wound made by a sharp object, such as a knife, or by a surgical instrument. Puncture wounds, whether accidental (e.g. from a car accident) or deliberate (e.g. from a ?ght), are potentially dangerous. Despite an often small entry hole, serious damage may have been done to underlying tissues – for example, HEART, LUNGS, LIVER, or large blood vessel – and surgical exploration may be required to assess the extent of the injury. Punctures through the skin are also done deliberately in medicine to extract ?uid or tissue through a hollow needle so that it can be examined in the laboratory. LUMBAR PUNCTURE, where cerebrospinal ?uid is withdrawn, is one example.... puncture
The lower back, five segments of the spinal chord and column, between the sacrum and thoracic regions.... lumbar region
Destruction of the LUMBAR chain of sympathetic nerves (see NERVOUS SYSTEM) by means of surgery, DIATHERMY or injection of chemicals (phenol or alcohol). The technique is used to improve the blood ?ow to the leg in patients with peripheral vascular disease, and to treat some types of chronic leg pain. It has only limited success.... lumbar sympathectomy
There are ?ve lumbar vertebrae in the lower SPINAL COLUMN between the thoracic vertebrae and the sacrum.... lumbar vertebra
a weak area in the abdomen bounded by the iliac crest (below), the external oblique muscle (in front), and the erector spinae muscle (behind). It can be the site of a lumbar hernia.... lumbar triangle
the five bones of the *backbone that are situated between the thoracic vertebrae and the sacrum, in the lower part of the back. They are the largest of the unfused vertebrae and have stout processes for attachment of the strong muscles of the lower back. See also vertebra.... lumbar vertebrae
a procedure in which, under X-ray guidance, a sharp-tipped catheter positioned in the heart is used to create a small hole in the partition (septum) separating the atria. This allows other catheters to be passed from the right to the left atrium for the purposes of pressure measurement, *ablation, or *valvuloplasty.... transseptal puncture
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