This is the most common side effect and is due to decreased pressure of the CSF following removal of the fluid. If you have any questions about this you can contact your consultant’s secretary. You will be advised how and when you will receive the results after the procedure and any appropriate follow-up appointments you may need. Some of the test results from the lumbar puncture will take a few days, but others can take several weeks. You can return to all your usual activities such as work and driving, as soon as you feel well enough after that. The dressing from the lumbar puncture can be removed the following day.Īvoid strenuous activity for the first 24 hours after the procedure. Back pain can also be treated with pain relief medication. Please drink plenty of fluids to help reduce the chance of developing a headache. If you do experience a headache after the procedure, you can treat this by lying flat and taking pain relief medication such as paracetamol. If this is the case, you are expected to stay for a few hours to complete all the assessments. You will be asked to lie flat for 30 minutes after your lumbar puncture and after that you will be free to go home, unless you are being investigated for normal pressure hydrocephalus. A small dressing will then be put on your back.A sample of your spinal fluid is then taken and will be sent to the laboratory for testing.You may feel some pushing as the needle enters your back, please tell your doctor if you feel pain. You will need to hold very still so that the needle does not move. The doctor will carefully put a needle into a space in the lower back, below where the spinal cord ends.You will then be given a local anaesthetic injection to numb the area.Your lower back is washed with a disinfectant to clean the skin.A nurse may help you tuck your head toward your chest. You will either be asked to lie on your side with your knees curled up to your stomach or asked to sit on the side of the bed, bending forward.The lumbar puncture takes 15 – 20 minutes. You may want to let your employer know you are having a lumbar puncture and that you should refrain from manual labour for a day afterwards. Please advise your doctor if you are taking these medications before attending for the procedure. Generally lumbar puncture can be performed safely if you are on aspirin but with other drugs or combinations of drugs it may be necessary to stop them temporarily. There is a risk of bleeding and bruising with lumbar puncture and you should tell the doctor if you are taking anticoagulants such as warfarin, dabigatran etexilate, rivaroxaban or heparin, anti-platelet drugs like Aspirin, clopidogrel and dipyridamole, or if you have a coagulopathy, abnormal bleeding or clotting disorder (bleeding disorders). Do not drive on the day of lumbar puncture, please bring someone with you who can drive. Please make sure you empty your bladder before the procedure so that you are not uncomfortable during it. When you arrive for your lumbar puncture the doctor will speak to you about the procedure and answer any other questions you may have. Preparing for a Lumbar Punctureīefore your lumbar puncture please eat as you normally would. It also allows the CSF pressure to be measured to see if it is within the normal range. When this is combined with a history, examination and scan results, a lumbar puncture can sometimes help to diagnose a wide range of neurological conditions. Why do I need a Lumbar Puncture?ĬSF testing can provide your doctors with information about how the brain and spinal cord are working. The fluid is called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and is constantly replenished when a small sample of this fluid is taken it is rapidly replaced. If after reading it you have any concerns or require further explanation, please discuss this with a member of the healthcare team What is a Lumbar Puncture?Ī lumbar puncture (LP) is the insertion of a small needle into your spine so that a sample of the fluid that bathes the brain and the spinal cord can be taken for testing. It is not intended to replace the discussion between you and the healthcare team, but may act as a starting point for discussion. Most of your questions should be answered by this leaflet. This leaflet has been produced to give you general information about lumbar puncture. Need some help choosing a language? Please refer to Browsealoud Supported Voices and Languages. You can translate this page by using the headphones button (bottom left) and then select the globe to change the language of the page.
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