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HENRY R. SHINEFIELD, MD

Am J Dis Child. 1975;129(5):547-548.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

How many lumbar punctures (LPs) should be performed during hospitalization for proper management of a case of meningitis? To date this question has not been answered to everyone's satisfaction. However, a new dilemma concerning LP and meningitis has arisen. This is related to the need for a second LP to make an initial diagnosis of meningitis.

Fischer and his associates, elsewhere in this issue (see page 590), as well as Rapkin,¹ have reported a number of cases of meningitis in which the cerebrospinal fluid CSF obtained on the initial LP was essentially normal. A second LP, at times performed only a few hours later, disclosed purulent fluid. A common denominator in many of these cases was a positive blood culture that was obtained on admission to the hospital. These observations led to the conclusion that "a positive blood culture mandates a repeat LP,"¹ particularly in small infants according . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
Department of Pediatrics Permanente Medical Group 2200 O'Farrell St San Francisco, CA 94115

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