Does A Lumbar Puncture Have Any Effect On The Body

Complications of lumbar puncture include cerebral hernia, impaired cardiopulmonary function, local or referred pain, headache, bleeding, infection, subarachnoid epidermal cysts, and CSF leakage. The most common complication was headache, which occurred in 36.5% of patients within 48 hours after lumbar penetration. Headache is caused by CSF leaking from the puncture site faster than the rate of CSF production. The increased incidence of headache was related to the thickness of the lumbar needle used. The most serious complication is cerebral hernia, which can occur if there is a large pressure difference between the cranial cavity and the spinal cord cavity. During a lumbar puncture, this differential pressure can increase, leading to the formation of a brain stem hernia. By asking a detailed medical history and neurological examination, physicians can identify high-risk patients prone to cerebral hernias. If the physician remains concerned about performing a lumbar puncture, CT may be helpful, but elevated intracranial pressure may not always be detected by imaging. However, not all patients need CT because it can delay diagnosis and treatment. Patients with hemorrhagic diathesis are very prone to bleeding, which can lead to spinal cord compression. There is no absolute standard for the relationship between the degree of coagulation disorder and the risk of bleeding, so the physician must make a judgment based on the clinical situation. Subarachnoid epidermal cysts are caused by cutaneous emboli entering the subarachnoid space and can be avoided by puncture needles with needle cores. Clinically, a successful lumbar puncture has no long-term adverse effects on the body, and lumbar puncture is of great significance for the diagnosis of intracranial diseases.