Abstract: A retrospective study was done to evaluate the risk of lumbar puncture—induced meningitis. Fourteen percent (23/165) of patients with bacteremia caused by<i>Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitis</i>, 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. (<i>JAMA</i>1981;245:1456-1459)
Publication Year: 1981
Publication Date: 1981-04-10
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 49
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