Lumbar puncture in the emergency department is useful and safe

Abstract

A 12 month retrospective study was carried out by the Department of Emergency Medicine at Fremantle Hospital to evaluate lumbar puncture in the Emergency Department. Sixty‐four patients underwent lumbar puncture in the study period. The main indication was suspicion of central nervous system (CNS) infection. Fifty‐three percent of patients had an abnormal cerebrospinal fluid. Diagnoses in order of frequency were viral meningitis, subarachnoid haemorrhage, bacterial meningitis, and viral encephalitis, confirming the importance of this investigation in the diagnosis of CNS infection. No side effects were recorded. With appropriate selection criteria and supervision, lumbar puncture is a safe, ..