title: Outpatient lumbar myelography. Initial results in 79 examinations using a low-dose metrizamide technique.
abstract: Seventy-nine patients underwent lumbar myelography on an outpatient basis, with a low (3.75 g) dose of metrizamide as the radiocontrast agent and a 25-gauge spinal needle used for lumbar puncture. No patient experienced significant neurotoxicity following the examination; 70.8% (56 of 79) experienced minimal (23%) or no (48%) side effects. Three patients (3.8%) were admitted to the hospital for management of common side effects (headache, nausea/vomiting, back pain). We obtained postmyelographic computed tomographic scans on 96% (76 of 79) of the patients. Our initial results suggest that outpatient lumbar myelography is safe and can be performed with a very acceptable incidence of side effects.
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008793:Metrizamide / Q000009:adverse effects; D009192:Myelography / Q000379:methods*; D013129:Spinal Puncture; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D008793:Metrizamide