title: [Clinical experiences of normal saline pressed injection via lumbar puncture in the treatment of apnea due to acute tonsillar hernia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To summarize the clinical experiences of normal saline pressed injection via lumbar puncture in the treatment of acute tonsillar hernia induced apnea. This procedure was routinely carried out after external ventricular drainage and/or lesion removal via open craniotomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  During the period of 1969 to 2005, a total of 43 patients failed to regain respiratory after external ventricular drainage using rapid small hole cranio-puncture apparatus or lesion removal via open craniotomy. They underwent lumbar puncture and normal saline was pressed injected via a lumbar puncture needle. The patient data were retrospectively analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eleven of 43 patients had spontaneous respiration and fully recovered (25.6%), 16 patients regained respiration but died eventually (37.2%) and 16 patients failed to regain respiration (37.2%). The effective rate was 62.8%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For the patients failing to regain respiration after external ventricular drainage or supratentorial lesion removal via open craniotomy, the conservative treatment should not be the first choice. The pressed injection of normal saline via lumbar puncture may rescue some patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Qing-Hu
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Chun-Cheng
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Xin-Gang
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fei
authors.forename: Jin-Long
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Cheng-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qing-Lin
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001049:Apnea / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D003399:Craniotomy; D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods; D004677:Encephalocele / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005539:Foramen Magnum; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013129:Spinal Puncture; D055815:Young Adult