OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the utility of lumbar puncture done routinely as part of complete workup in neonatal sepsis. METHODOLOGY: Two hundred and nine consecutive lumbar punctures performed in 169 neonates were prospectively evaluated for the diagnosis of meningitis over a 6 month period in a tertiary care referral neonatal unit. RESULTS: Among babies with 'suspected clinical sepsis', five (3.3%) were diagnosed to have meningitis. None of the clinically normal babies with high risk obstetric factors alone had meningitis. The lumbar puncture was traumatic in 22.9%, and in 26.3% the fluid obtained was inadequate for complete analysis. The results were inconclusive in 37% of the cases. CONCLUSION: Based on this study, routine lumbar puncture may not be required in clinically normal newborns with adverse obstetric factors. In babies with clinical sepsis, though the yield is not very high; there are no reliable clinical or laboratory markers to predict which babies will have meningitis and hence these babies would warrant a lumbar puncture.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the utility of lumbar puncture done routinely as part of complete workup in neonatal sepsis. METHODOLOGY: Two hundred and nine consecutive lumbar punctures performed in 169 neonates were prospectively evaluated for the diagnosis of meningitis over a 6 month period in a tertiary care referral neonatal unit. RESULTS: Among babies with 'suspected clinical sepsis', five (3.3%) were diagnosed to have meningitis. None of the clinically normal babies with high risk obstetric factors alone had meningitis. The lumbar puncture was traumatic in 22.9%, and in 26.3% the fluid obtained was inadequate for complete analysis. The results were inconclusive in 37% of the cases. CONCLUSION: Based on this study, routine lumbar puncture may not be required in clinically normal newborns with adverse obstetric factors. In babies with clinical sepsis, though the yield is not very high; there are no reliable clinical or laboratory markers to predict which babies will have meningitis and hence these babies would warrant a lumbar puncture.
Authors: Roberto Romero; Piya Chaemsaithong; Nikolina Docheva; Steven J Korzeniewski; Juan P Kusanovic; Bo Hyun Yoon; Jung-Sun Kim; Noppadol Chaiyasit; Ahmed I Ahmed; Faisal Qureshi; Suzanne M Jacques; Chong Jai Kim; Sonia S Hassan; Tinnakorn Chaiworapongsa; Lami Yeo; Yeon Mee Kim Journal: J Perinat Med Date: 2016-01 Impact factor: 1.901
Authors: Alonso Zea-Vera; Christie Gloria Turín; María Susana Rueda; Daniel Guillén-Pinto; Pilar Medina-Alva; Aldredo Tori; María Rivas; Jaime Zegarra; Anne Castañeda; Luis Cam; Theresa J Ochoa Journal: Rev Peru Med Exp Salud Publica Date: 2016-06