How is csf collected

In the event of a needle-stick injury or other skin puncture or wound, wash the wound liberally with soap and water. Encourage bleeding. Report a needle-stick injury, any other skin puncture, or any contamination of the hands or body with CSF to the supervisor and appropriate health officials immediately as prophylactic treatment of the personnel performing the procedure may be indicated.

Collection and transport of CSF The collection of CSF is an invasive procedure and should only be performed by experienced personnel under aseptic conditions. If bacterial meningitis is suspected, CSF is the best clinical specimen to use for isolation, identification, and characterization of the etiological agents. Suspected agents should include N. Preparing for lumbar puncture If possible, three tubes 1 ml each of CSF should be collected for microbiology, chemistry, and cytology.

If only one tube of CSF is available, it should be given to the microbiology laboratory. Because the presence of blood can affect cultures of CSF, if more than one tube of CSF is collected from a patient, the first tube collected which could contain contaminating blood from the lumbar puncture should not be the tube sent to the microbiology laboratory.

Do not use alcohol with glycerol added to it. Sterile gloves Be sure to check the expiration date. Kit for collection of cerebrospinal fluid CSF. In most cases, the procedure takes about 30 minutes. The actual pressure measurements and CSF collection only take a few minutes. This test is done to measure pressures within the CSF and to collect a sample of the fluid for further testing.

CSF analysis can be used to diagnose certain neurologic disorders. These may include infections such as meningitis and brain or spinal cord damage. A spinal tap may also be done to establish the diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus or bleeding into the spinal fluid from an aneurysm. Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories.

Talk to your provider about the meaning of your specific test results. The examples above show the common measurements for results for these tests. Some laboratories use different measurements or may test different specimens. If the CSF looks cloudy, it could mean there is an infection or a buildup of white blood cells or protein. If the CSF looks bloody or red, it may be a sign of bleeding or spinal cord obstruction.

If it is brown, orange, or yellow, it may be a sign of increased CSF protein or previous bleeding more than 3 days ago. There may be blood in the sample that came from the spinal tap itself. This makes it harder to interpret the test results. Brain herniation may occur if this test is done on a person with a mass in the brain such as a tumor or abscess.

This can result in brain damage or death. This test is not done if an exam or test reveals signs of a brain mass. Damage to the nerves in the spinal cord may occur, particularly if the person moves during the test. Cisternal puncture or ventricular puncture carries additional risks of brain or spinal cord damage and bleeding within the brain. Spinal tap; Ventricular puncture; Lumbar puncture; Cisternal puncture; Cerebrospinal fluid culture.

Approach to the patient with neurologic disease. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap CSF protects the brain and spinal cord from injury by acting like a liquid cushion. CSF is usually obtained through a lumbar puncture spinal tap. During the procedure, a needle is inserted usually between the 3rd and 4th lumbar vertebrae and the CSF fluid is collected for testing. There are 5 lumbar vertebrae located in the lower back. These vertebrae receive the most stress and are the weight-bearing portion of the back.

The lumbar vertebrae allow movements such as flexion and extension and some lateral flexion. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Editorial team. Doctors St. E-mail Form. Normal pressure hydrocephalus. Total protein The total protein test measures the total amount of two classes of proteins found in the fluid portion of your blood. Increased intracranial pressure Increased intracranial pressure is a rise in the pressure inside the skull that can result from or cause brain injury.

Diabetic coma Diabetic ketoacidosis is a life-threatening problem that affects people with diabetes. Diabetes Diabetes is a chronic disease in which the body cannot regulate the amount of sugar in the blood. Hypoglycemia Low blood sugar is a condition that occurs when the body's blood sugar glucose decreases and is too low. Meningitis Meningitis is an infection of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. Acute Acute means sudden or severe. Abscess An abscess is a collection of pus in any part of the body.

Stroke A stroke occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain stops. Multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord central nervous system. Neurosyphilis Neurosyphilis is a bacterial infection of the brain or spinal cord. Chronic inflammatory polyneuropathy Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy CIDP is a disorder that involves nerve swelling and irritation inflammation that leads to a los Dementia due to metabolic causes Dementia is loss of brain function that occurs with certain diseases.

Encephalitis Encephalitis is irritation and swelling inflammation of the brain, most often due to infections. Epilepsy Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which a person has repeated seizures over time. Febrile seizure children A febrile seizure is a convulsion in a child triggered by a fever.

Generalized tonic-clonic seizure Generalized tonic-clonic seizure is 1 type of seizure that involves the entire body. Hydrocephalus Hydrocephalus is a buildup of fluid inside the skull that leads to brain swelling.

Normal pressure hydrocephalus NPH Hydrocephalus is a buildup of spinal fluid inside the fluid chambers of the brain. Pituitary tumor A pituitary tumor is an abnormal growth in the pituitary gland. Reye syndrome Reye syndrome is sudden acute brain damage and liver function problems. Open References. All Video Images Tog. CSF chemistry - illustration Cerebrospinal fluid CSF is a clear fluid that circulates in the space surrounding the spinal cord and brain.

The patient is placed in lateral recumbency and the area of a tap is shaved and aseptically prepared. There are two sites for CSF collection.

Because CSF flows in cranial to caudal direction, it is more likely to be abnormal when collected caudal to the lesion. For brain and cervical diseases, the cisternal tap is more representative, and in lesions involving the spinal cord or canal, the caudal lumbar region should be chosen. This is the most common site of CSF collection in small animals; the collection from this site is easier, usually results in a larger sample and less iatrogenic blood contamination than lumbar tap.

The spine of the axis and the external occipital protuberance should be in line. Anatomic landmarks used for cisternal tap are the occipital protuberance, the cranial aspect of the spine of the axis and the transverse processes wings of the atlas. The needle is positioned perpendicular to the neck and advanced slowly mm at the time. Observe for CSF flow every few millimetres — once the subarachnoid space has been entered, CSF will appear in the needle hub.

If blood is obtained, a few drops of fluid should be allowed to flow. If the fluid clears, it can be collected, if not, the needle should be removed, and the procedure repeated.

If the needle hits bone, redirection of the tip slightly cranial or caudal may allow entry into the dorsal subarachnoid space.