Positioning is Everything

Part 1 of a Mini-Series on Lumbar Puncture   We love breaking down and simplifying complicated procedures so you can perform them easily and efficiently. The next few blog posts will focus on strengthening your practice.   We want to give appropriate and safe care. We also want to consider patient satisfaction, dignity, and comfort when we complete any procedure. This month, we are focusing on procedures that require perfect patient positioning. Half the battle of any procedure is setting up your stage to perform, no matter how complex or simple the task at hand may be. Successful procedures are all about positioning and patient comfort. The better the positioning, the better the procedure and overall outcome.   Positioning for lumbar puncture.Oski’s Solution; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006.     Lumbar puncture anatomy review.High-Yield Gross Anatomy; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2010.   Consider the correct setup before you start a lumbar puncture. Is the patient young, thin, and tall with a fever? Or older and morbidly obese with altered mental status? Does he have some underlying condition like COPD or heart failure, which makes lying flat or even on his side almost impossible? Does the patient have a history of back surgery or infection that complicates the situation even more? Is he allergic to analgesics or lidocaine — or emergency providers? Next month’s blog will break down the actual steps you need to complete a successful LP, but this mon...
Source: The Procedural Pause - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: Blog Posts Source Type: blogs