Lumbar puncture-induced meningitis.
A retrospective study was done to evaluate the risk of lumbar puncture-induced meningitis. Fourteen percent (23/165) of patients with bacteremia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitis, and groups A and B streptococci had spontaneous meningitis (without a preceding lumbar puncture). In contrast, only 0.8% (7/924) of patients with blood culture containing other organisms had spontaneous meningitis and 2.1% (3/140) of these patients had clinical courses consistent with lumbar puncture-induced meningitis. However, the 2.1% incidence in the latter group is not significantly different from 0.8%, the expected incidence of spontaneous meningitis. It is suggested that if lumbar puncture-induced meningitis does occur, it is rare enough to be clinically insignificant.
D000328:Adult; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008581:Meningitis / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000209:etiology; D013129:Spinal Puncture / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013346:Subarachnoid Space / Q000382:microbiology