When do you consider using a paramedian approach for a lumbar puncture?
1 Answers
Mednet Member
Hospital Medicine · UTHealth San Antonio
I consider the paramedian approach for lumbar puncture in several clinical scenarios:
- When patients are unable to adequately flex their spine.
- When midline interspaces are narrow (<1 cm).
- When ultrasound reveals densely calcified spinal ligaments—a common finding in elderly patients that can obscure...