![spinal tap test spinal tap test](https://images.infobloom.com/xray-of-spine.jpg)
It is important to stay still, and the patient will be asked to lie on their side and pull their knees up to their chin, as in the foetal position. If the medical team mention a possibility of meningitis but a lumbar puncture has not been performed, we encourage you to mention it to the team.Ī lumbar puncture can be an uncomfortable procedure for some.
![spinal tap test spinal tap test](https://www.healthline.com/hlcmsresource/images/imce/csf-total-protein_thumb.jpg)
Use this time to ask any questions you may have. Depending on the urgency of the procedure, a doctor will talk to you and your family to discuss what will happen. However in some instances, doctors will not perform a lumbar puncture or will delay it because it would be too risky (for example when someone is severely ill and having seizures).Īlthough it may sound scary, it is important to remember that a lumbar puncture is a routine procedure, and the medical teams will have experience of carrying these out. The quicker a lumbar puncture is performed when meningitis is suspected, the more likely it is that a cause will be found. This helps guide treatment and a confirmed diagnosis can help patients left with after-effects access the help they need. Lumbar puncture is not normally used as a test for someone admitted to hospital with suspected sepsis/septicaemia in this case, a blood test will be the key test.Ĭurrently, a lumbar puncture is the only definitive way to diagnose meningitis and what is causing it. National guidelines recommend that a lumbar puncture is done alongside other routine testing, such as blood tests. Testing this fluid can help doctors confirm whether the patient has meningitis and what bug is causing it. You may have also heard this process referred to as a ‘spinal tap’. Especially when you are dealing with a serious illness in an already unfamiliar hospital setting.Ī lumbar puncture is the process of inserting a thin, hollow needle between the bones of the lower back and taking some fluid called CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) which surrounds the brain and spinal cord. Hearing from a doctor that you, or a loved one, will need a lumbar puncture can be a daunting prospect. When somebody is admitted to hospital feeling unwell, and a doctor suspects that it might be meningitis, a lumbar puncture may be performed.