title: Diagnostic investigations. Part 1. Lumbar puncture.
abstract: This article, the first in a three-part series on clinical investigations, discusses the technique and uses of lumbar puncture. This diagnostic procedure involves making a puncture into the subarachnoid space of the spinal cord, to remove an excess of fluid; to obtain fluid for examination and analysis, or to inject medication. The article includes an explanation of the relevant anatomy and the composition and role of cerebrospinal fluid, a detailed description of the procedure and the interpretation of results.
authors.affiliation: St Bartholomew School of Nursing and Midwifery, City University, London.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Blows
mesh_terms: D000715:Anatomy; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid; D019937:Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures; D006801:Humans; D013129:Spinal Puncture / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006113:United Kingdom