![]() You usually lie on your side with your knees tucked up into your chest. This is a good time to ask any questions you may have.Ī staff member asks you to take off your upper clothing and put on a hospital gown. Your doctor will give you information about the procedure and ask you to sign a consent form. Find out how children have a lumbar puncture test.Just before the procedure, you are asked to go to the toilet to empty your bladder and bowels. Your appointment letter or a member of the healthcare team will tell you how long for. If you are having it this way you have to stop eating and drinking for some time before the test. All other medicines you can usually take as normal.Ĭhildren and some adults may have this under a general anaesthetic (GA) or with sedation. Your doctor will tell you if you need to stop taking these medicines and how long before your test. Preparing for your lumbar punctureĬheck your appointment letter for how to prepare for your lumbar puncture test. You are usually able to eat and drink before your test. Tell your doctor if you’re taking medicines that changes how your blood clots. You may have some other side effects, these are not very common, but you should call your hospital advice line straight away if: you have a high temperature, you are being sick, your eyes are sensitive to bright lights, you have tingling or numbness in your legs or you have severe headaches or if you have any other concerns.įor more information about Lumbar punctures go to CRUK dot org forward slash about hyphen cancer. You might have some pain and bruising around your lower back these should settle in a couple of days. If you have a headache take painkillers, lie flat and drink plenty of fluids. This might start soon after the test or later when you get home. You should have someone to take you home and you should not drive for at least 24 hours.Ī lumbar puncture is a very safe procedure, but some people may have side effects including a headache. You lie flat for an hour or so after the test, during this time your nurse will take your blood pressure and pulse. It only takes a few seconds.Īt the end, your doctor takes the needle out and puts a dressing or plaster on your back. Once it’s in the right place a small amount of the CSF drips out into the pot. You might feel some pressure or discomfort when the needle goes in, but this shouldn’t be painful. It goes into the small of your back and into the space around your spinal cord. When it’s numb, the doctor puts the lumbar puncture needle in through the skin. Next, you have an injection of local anaesthetic to numb the area. To start the doctor drapes a sterile cover over you, then they clean the area with antiseptic fluid, which can feel cold. You have the lumbar puncture on the lower part of your spine called the lumbar region. Your nurse will ask you to take off your clothes, and put on a gown, but you can keep your underwear on. This is a good time to ask any questions you may have. When you arrive, your doctor will explain the procedure and ask you to sign a consent form. The test takes about 20 to 30 minutes, but you will be in the hospital for a few hours. Let them know if you are taking medication to thin the blood or if you are allergic to anything. Your doctor will let you know about any preparation beforehand. You can also have chemotherapy into the CSF by lumbar puncture. You might have an LP to see if there are any cancer cells or an infection in the CSF. This fluid is called cerebrospinal fluid or CSF. A lumbar puncture or LP is a test to check the fluid that circulates around the brain and spinal cord.
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