Lumbar Puncture Related Questions

Name: Lumbar Puncture Related Questions
Uploaded: 2025-12-04T10:41:22+00:00
Duration: 9 min 25 s
Channel: The Nurse
Description: Lumbar Puncture Related Questions and Answers explained with Rationales

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Lumbar Puncture Related Questions and Answers explained with Rationales

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00:00Hi friends, welcome back to the nurse. In today's session, we dive into one of the most important

00:05clinical skills, lumbar puncture. If you are preparing for nursing exams or want to strengthen

00:11your clinical knowledge, stay tuned. We will cover the most important nursing questions and

00:17answers. Made simple and easy to remember, let's begin and boost your exam confidence.

00:23We will move to the first question. The most common purpose of performing lumbar puncture is

00:29measure intracranial pressure directly from the brain, obtain cerebrospinal fluid for diagnostic

00:36testing, administer intravenous contrast dye, assess cerebral blood flow. The correct answer is

00:44option B, obtain cerebrospinal fluid or CSF for diagnostic testing. We will move to the rationale.

00:52Lumbar puncture is primarily done to collect CSF for diagnosis of conditions such as meningitis,

00:58subarachnoid hemorrhage and other CNS disorders.

01:04Second question. In an adult, the lumbar puncture needle is usually inserted between which vertebrae?

01:11C3, C3, C4, T10, T11, L1, L2, L3, L4, L4, L5.

01:23Correct answer L3, L4 or L4, L5.

01:27So why it is inserting L4, L5 space? So this is the explanation for that. The spinal cord usually

01:41ends at L1, L2. So from the brain, the spinal cord extends up to L1 and L2 level. So we can safely

01:51insert the needle between the vertebrae level of L3, L4 or safest is L4 to L5 in the vertebra space

02:01to reduce the risk of spinal cord injury.

02:09Third question. The preferred position for a lumbar puncture is an adult is

02:13Prone with neck extended, supine with legs tight, laterals recommend with knees flexed to chest,

02:21flexing the spine in the lateral recommend position widens the intervertebral spaces and helps the

02:42provider access the subarachnoid space more easily. Why we need to insert needle up to

02:50subarachnoid space because CSR flow through the subarachnoid space that is space between

03:00arachnoid matter and pia matter.

03:06Next question. Before a lumbar puncture, the nurse should give highest priority to assessing

03:13bowel sounds, history of bleeding disorders or anticoagulant use, skin target, visual acuity.

03:20The correct answer is history of bleeding disorder or anticoagulant use.

03:29Because lumbar puncture involves needle insertion into highly vascular tissues,

03:34bleeding risk must be evaluated to prevent spinal hematoma and neurological complications.

03:40With the question, lumbar puncture is contraindicated in a patient with

03:48mild dehydration, suspected increased intracranial pressure due to mass lesion,

03:54low-grade fever, controlled hypertension.

03:59Correct answer here, suspected increased intracranial pressure due to mass lesion.

04:04That condition is contraindication for lumbar puncture or LP.

04:11Removing CSF when ICP is elevated from a mass or block can cause brain herniation.

04:19Therefore, LP or lumbar puncture is avoided until imaging rules this out.

04:25Sixth question. Which CSF finding is most consistent with bacterial meningitis?

04:37Clear, colorless fluid with normal glucose. Cloudy or purulent fluid with low glucose and high protein.

04:45Sandochromic fluid with normal cells.

04:47Blood CSF that clears in successive tubes. This is an important question.

04:54By seeing the CSF report, you can easily tell whether it is bacterial meningitis or some other reason.

05:02So, by assessing the CSF color as cloudy or purulent fluid with low glucose level and high protein content.

05:13Then, we can identify the infection is caused by bacterial meningitis or bacteria.

05:25Bacterial infection causes increased WBC and protein and bacteria consumes glucose.

05:32So, that will lead to low glucose.

05:35Then, it will lead to turbid CSF, high protein level and low glucose.

05:44So, in bacterial meningitis, there will be WBC and protein, high protein content and low glucose level.

05:55After a lumbar puncture, the nurse should position the client.

06:00Sitting upright in a chair for two hours, prone with head turned to one's head, flat or supine

06:06or slightly elevated head for several hours.

06:10Turn lumbar position.

06:14Correct answer is option C, flat or slightly elevated head for several hours.

06:21Lying flat helps reduce CSF leakage from the puncture site and may decrease the risk of risk and severity of post-lumbar puncture headache.

06:33Eighth question.

06:37The most common complication following lumbar puncture is permanent paralysis, severe respiratory depression,

06:46post-lumbar puncture, post-dural puncture or spinal headache, acute renal failure.

06:54These are the two portions used to do lumbar puncture.

06:59So, here, the most common complication following lumbar puncture answer is post-dural puncture or spinal headache.

07:19So, there will be chance for a spinal headache because of CSF leakage.

07:28CSF leakage through the dural puncture site can lead to low CSF pressure causing a characteristic

07:34postional headache that wasn't when upright, when standing.

07:43During the lumbar puncture, a key nursing responsibility is to

07:47inject local anesthetic into the spinal canal.

07:51Maintain correct positioning and provide emotional support.

07:54Interpret CSF laboratory results. Decide how much CSF to collect.

08:00Here, the correct answer or the main nursing responsibility is option B,

08:05maintain correct positioning and provide emotional support.

08:10That is the nurse's responsibility.

08:12The provider performs the puncture or the doctor performs the puncture and determines specimen volume.

08:18The nurse's role is to assist with the positioning, maintain asepsis, monitor the patient and support anxiety control.

08:26Last question, measuring CSF opening pressure during lumbar puncture helps to determine patient's blood pressure, assess intracranial pressure indirectly, evaluate renal perfusion, monitor cardiac output.

08:42The correct answer here, assess intracranial pressure indirectly.

08:50The main, the measuring CSF opening pressure during lumbar puncture helps to assess intracranial pressure indirectly.

08:59CSF opening pressure reflects the pressure in the subarachronid space and provides an indirect measurement of

09:05intracranial pressure for diagnostic purposes.

09:11So that is about today's video.

09:13If you have any doubt means you can ask in comment section.

09:16So thank you for watching this video.

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