What are the indications, complications, precautions, and contraindications for lumbar puncture in pediatric patients?
Indications
Complications
Precautions and contraindications
A. Lumbar puncture is indicated for the examination of cerebrospinal fluid in cases of suspected infection, inflammatory process, or malignant neoplasm, as well as for intrathecal chemotherapy instillation or measurement of opening pressure.
B. Complications of lumbar puncture include local pain, infection, bleeding, cerebrospinal fluid leak, hematoma, spinal headache, and acquired dermal spinal cord tumor.
C. Precautions and contraindications for lumbar puncture include examination of the patient's fundus to rule out increased intracranial pressure, which can contraindicate the procedure, and the need to measure cerebrospinal fluid pressure accurately while the patient is lying on their side without flexing their limbs.