Arch Pediat Adol Med
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Arch Pediat Adol Med · Oct 1996
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialLidocaine for lumbar punctures. A help not a hindrance.
To determine whether premedication for lumbar puncture (LP) with lidocaine hinders collection of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through either increased number of attempts or increased incidence of traumatic punctures. ⋯ Premedication with lidocaine for an LP does not binder the ease of obtaining CSF. The clinical relevance of a greater number of traumatic LPs in the lidocaine-treated group is questionable because this finding is negated when traumatic is defined as more than 10,000 x 10(6)/L CSF red blood cells. Based on these results, we advocate premedication with a local anesthetic when an LP is performed in the pediatric emergency department.