mmer Session II1 2018) > Discussions > chapter 13 discussion This is a graded di

Question

mmer Session II1 2018) > Discussions > chapter 13 discussion This is a graded discussion: 100 points possible due chapter 13 discussion Five-year-old Amy wakes her parents up at 3AM crying and complaining of a sore neck, severe headache, and feeling sick to her stomach. She has a temperature of 40 c (104*1) and her eyes, saying the lights are too bright. The emergency physician suspects meningitis and performs a lumbar tap. Using your knowledge of neuroanatomy, explain into which space and at what level of the vertebral column the needle will be inserted to perform this test. Which fluid is being obtained and why? Search entries or author Unread 6 Reply Replies are only visible to those who have posted at least one reply.

Explanation / Answer

Lumbar puncture is performed to obtain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the sub-arachnoid space of the spinal cord. Lumbar tap is also known as spinal tap. The conus medullaris terminates at the level of L1 or L2 and therefore, lumbar tap is performed at the level of L3/L4 or L4/L5 so that the nerves are not damaged. The CSF collected during lumbar tap is used to determine the type of meningitis (bacterial, viral or fungal). In bacterial meningitis, the CSF will be turbid and glucose levels would be low. In viral meningitis, there will be monocytes in CSF while in fungal meningitis, fibrin webs are present.

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