LUMBAR PUNCTURE-INVESTIGATIONS

SUMMARY

1. For all studies add: Protein, Glucose, Cell count and differential, Albumin

2. Presumed infectious aetiology: Gram stain, Bacterial culture, Meningitis panel (including EBV, CMV, HSV), Cryptococcal antigen, AFB smear, Mycobacterial culture, Syphilis/ HIV (if serum positive)

3. Presumed malignancy: Cytology and Flow cytometry

4. Presumed inflammatory: Oligoclonal bands (needs paired serum), B2 microglobulin, Immunoglobulin subsets, Limbic encephalitis, Antineuronal antibodies

5. Degenerative: (special tubes, 1 tube per test) Amyloid, Tau/phosphorylated tau, 14-3-3

Reference(s)

Wilkinson, I., Furmedge, D. and Sinharay, R. (2017). Oxford handbook of clinical medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Get it on Amazon.
Feather, A., Randall, D. and Waterhouse, M. (2020). Kumar And Clark’s Clinical Medicine. 10th ed. S.L.: Elsevier Health Sciences. Get it on Amazon.
Hannaman, R. A., Bullock, L., Hatchell, C. A., & Yoffe, M. (2016). Internal medicine review core curriculum, 2017-2018. CO Springs, CO: MedStudy.
Therapeutic Guidelines. Melbourne: Therapeutic Guidelines Limited. https://www.tg.org.au [Accessed 2021].