The role of lumbar puncture in children with suspected central nervous system infection

BMC Pediatrics

Table 2 Clinical and microbiological details of 52 children with suspected CNS infection and 43 with meningococccal septicaemia

Initial Clinical Impression	LP Performed		LP Not performed
	No. of patients	CSF findings and microbiology results	No. of patients	Microbiology results
Suspected meningoencephalitis, no rash	14	Pleocytosis, N. meningitidis in CSF [2]^*	8	N. meningitidis in BC & PCR [1]
		Pleocytosis, N. meningitidis in BC [1]		N. meningitidis by PCR [1]
		Pleocytosis, E. coli in CSF [1]
		Pleocytosis, cultures negative [2]
Suspected meningitis with meningococcal rash	1	Pleocytosis, cultures negative [1]	12#	N. meningitidis in BC (6, including 4 PCR +)
				N. meningitidis by PCR [2]
				H. Influenzae in endotracheal aspirate [1]
Septic screen in infants <6 months old	10	CSF normal	7	E. coli in BC [1]
Meningococcal septicaemia (LP Contraindicated)	0		43	N. meningitidis in BC (7, including 5 PCR +)
				N. meningitidis by PCR [10]
				N. meningitidis by antigen test only [3]

^* Numbers of patients in brackets # 5 patients had contraindications to LP, (all were shocked, and 2 had deep come): 2 with BC, and 1 with PCR positive for N meningitidis BC = blood cultures, CSF = cerebrospinal fluid, WBC = white blood cells PCR was only performed on blood

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