This is the fluid that surrounds your brain and spinal cord to protect them from injury. A lumbar puncture can help diagnose serious infections, such as meningitis; other disorders of the central nervous system, such as Guillain-Barre syndrome and multiple sclerosis; or cancers of the brain or spinal cord. Sometimes a lumbar puncture is used to inject anesthetic medications or chemotherapy drugs into the cerebrospinal fluid.

Though lumbar punctures are generally recognized as safe, they do carry some risks. These include:. Post-lumbar puncture headache. The headache typically starts several hours up to two days after the procedure and may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting and dizziness. The headaches are usually present when sitting or standing and resolve after lying down. Post-lumbar puncture headaches can last from a few hours to a week or more.

Brainstem herniation. Increased pressure within the skull intracranial , due to a brain tumor or other space-occupying lesion, can lead to compression of the brainstem after a sample of cerebrospinal fluid is removed. A computerized tomography CT scan or MRI prior to a lumbar puncture can be obtained to determine if there is evidence of a space-occupying lesion that results in increased intracranial pressure.

This complication is rare. Before your lumbar puncture, your doctor, nurse or other health care professional asks questions about your medical history, does a physical exam, and orders blood tests to check for bleeding or clotting disorders.

Your doctor may also recommend a CT scan or MRI to determine if you have any abnormal swelling in or around your brain. Your health care professional will give you specific instructions about food, drink and medications. Tell your doctor or nurse if you're taking blood-thinning or other anticoagulant medications.

Examples include warfarin Coumadin, Jantoven , clopidogrel Plavix , and some over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin, ibuprofen Advil, Motrin IB, others or naproxen sodium Aleve. Also, tell your doctor or nurse if you're allergic to any medications, such as numbing medications local anesthetics.

A lumbar puncture is usually done in an outpatient facility or a hospital by a doctor or a nurse. Your doctor or nurse will talk to you about the potential risks, and any discomfort you might feel during the procedure. If a child is having a lumbar puncture, a parent may be allowed to stay in the room in some cases. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy for cancer. Other medicines used to treat autoimmune disease. Medicines taken after organ transplant. Not having a spleen. With severe bleeding , any of these may be true: Blood is pumping from the wound.

The bleeding does not stop or slow down with pressure. Blood is quickly soaking through bandage after bandage. With moderate bleeding , any of these may be true: The bleeding slows or stops with pressure but starts again if you remove the pressure. The blood may soak through a few bandages, but it is not fast or out of control. With mild bleeding , any of these may be true: The bleeding stops on its own or with pressure.

The bleeding stops or slows to an ooze or trickle after 15 minutes of pressure. It may ooze or trickle for up to 45 minutes. For a deep or dirty wound that has things like dirt, saliva, or feces in it, you may need a shot if: You haven't had a tetanus shot in the past 5 years. You don't know when your last shot was.

You have not received 3 doses of the tetanus vaccine series. For a clean wound , you may need a shot if: You have not had a tetanus shot in the past 10 years. For example: You may feel a little out of breath but still be able to talk mild difficulty breathing , or you may be so out of breath that you cannot talk at all severe difficulty breathing. It may be getting hard to breathe with activity mild difficulty breathing , or you may have to work very hard to breathe even when you're at rest severe difficulty breathing.

Seek Care Today Based on your answers, you may need care soon. Call your doctor today to discuss the symptoms and arrange for care. If you cannot reach your doctor or you don't have one, seek care today. If it is evening, watch the symptoms and seek care in the morning.

If the symptoms get worse, seek care sooner. Seek Care Now Based on your answers, you may need care right away. Call your doctor now to discuss the symptoms and arrange for care. If you cannot reach your doctor or you don't have one, seek care in the next hour. You do not need to call an ambulance unless: You cannot travel safely either by driving yourself or by having someone else drive you.

You are in an area where heavy traffic or other problems may slow you down. Call Now Based on your answers, you need emergency care. Put direct, steady pressure on the wound until help arrives. Keep the area raised if you can. Home Treatment Minor puncture wounds can be treated effectively at home. Remove object Make sure the object causing the wound is not still in the wound.

Check to see if the object is intact and a piece has not broken off in the wound. Try to remove the object that caused the wound if it is small and you can see it. If you have a splinter , try using cellophane tape before using clean tweezers or a needle. Simply put the tape over the splinter, then pull the tape off.

The splinter usually sticks to the tape and is removed painlessly and easily. Be careful, and do not push the object farther into the wound. Do not wet the splinter. Stop the bleeding Allow the wound to bleed freely for up to 5 minutes to clean itself out, unless there has been a lot of blood loss or blood is squirting out of the wound.

Stop the bleeding with direct pressure to the wound. Prevention To prevent puncture wounds, be sure to practice safety when using blunt or sharp objects. Pay close attention to what you are doing. If you become distracted, set the object aside until you can pay attention to what you are doing. Know how to use the object properly. Have good lighting so you can see what you are doing. Wear gloves whenever possible to protect your hands.

Wear other safety gear, such as glasses or boots, as appropriate. Hold a sharp object away from your body while using it. Carry the object with the dangerous end away from you.

Shut the power off and use safety locks on your power tools when you are not using them. Be very careful when using high-pressure equipment, such as staple guns or paint sprayers. Make sure your work area is clear of people and hazards that could interfere with the safe operation of the equipment.

Store dangerous objects in secure places away from children. Teach children about safety, and be a good role model. Do not use alcohol or drugs when you are handling sharp objects. Questions to prepare for your appointment You can help your doctor diagnose and treat your condition by being prepared to answer the following questions: What are your main symptoms? How long have you had your symptoms? How and when did the puncture wound occur?

Have you had any injuries in the past to the same area? Do you have any continuing problems because of the previous injury? What object caused the puncture wound?

Was there or is there an object in the puncture wound? Was the object removed in one piece? Did the injury occur under high pressure? What home treatment measures have you tried? Did they help? What non-prescription medicines have you tried? What prescription and non-prescription medicine do you take? Were drugs or alcohol involved in your injury? When was your last tetanus shot?

Do you have any health risks? Credits Current as of: February 26, Previous Section: Related Information Top of the page. Current as of: February 26, Acetaminophen , such as Tylenol Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs : Ibuprofen, such as Advil or Motrin Naproxen, such as Aleve Aspirin also a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug , such as Asaphen or Entrophen Talk to your child's doctor before switching back and forth between doses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen.

Carefully read and follow all directions on the medicine bottle and box. Back to Health A to Z. A lumbar puncture is where a thin needle is inserted between the bones in your lower spine.

It should not be painful, but you may have a headache and some back pain for a few days. Your doctor or nurse should explain what's going to happen and why you need a lumbar puncture. A lumbar puncture takes around 30 to 45 minutes, but you'll need to stay lying down at the hospital for at least another hour while the nurses monitor you.

You'll be able to go home the same day if you feel well enough, but you would not be able to drive yourself home.