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.
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needle is inserted into the lower section of the space around the SPINAL CORD (see diagram) and the cerebrospinal ?uid withdrawn.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.... lumbar puncture
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 LUMBAR PUNCTURE, where cerebrospinal ?uid is withdrawn, is one example....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
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