Question 1

is intracranial pressure around the back of the head and right side from sitting normal after a lumbar puncture?

Accepted Answer

Headache: Yes.  About 20 percent of people have some headache.  Drink some coffee that can help.  If headache persists or fever notify your provider.

Question 2

if increased intracranial pressure(icp) is contraindicated in lumbar puncture, why one of the indication of this procedure is to decrease the icp?

Accepted Answer

Depends: Lp is contraindicated when the icp is due to some process that is creating a midline shift in the brain and sudden loss of pressure can cause herniation of the midbrain and consequent death.  You can reduce some icp with LP but better to place intraventricular drain and then decide whether permanent shunt may be necessary.

Question 3

why is it dangerous to do the lumbar puncture in a patient with increased intracranial pressure?

Accepted Answer

Can make it worse: Study of 30 patients with raised intracranial pressure whose condition worsened after lumbar puncture emphasizes the danger of carrying this out in the presence of raised intracranial pressure. In half the cases deterioration was immediate and dramatic, and in the other half it occurred within 12 hours.

Question 4

can they take out cfs from a vp shunts valve and measure the pressure to see how high it is instead of needing a lumbar puncture?

Accepted Answer

Tap: The safest and best route of having CSF removed in anyone, with/without shunt, is via lumbar puncture/spinal tap. An alternative route is a cervical tap, which is higher risk and more painful in general. In the right hands, an LP is minimally painful. I sometimes recommend a relaxing medication prior to having one &amp; request the performing provider use sufficient numbing medication.

Question 5

does mild papilledema mean my vp shunt isnt working properly? i had high csf pressure a few months ago but a lumbar puncture drained it out

Accepted Answer

Neurosurgeon: Papilledema generally means increased intracranial pressure. Your neurosurgeon is best qualified to evaluate,advise and treat you for increased intracranial pressure, if treatment is needed according to his/her judgement.

Question 6

what should normal inter crainal pressure be during my last lumbar puncture my beginning pressure was 38 i was just wondering i also ha e iih?

Accepted Answer

Positional: In the side-lying position intracranial pressure as measured during lumbar puncture should be between 100 and 150 cm of water pressure. If pressure is measured while sitting upright, pressure level in fluid column should extend to base of skull (foramen magnum) but numerically will exceed 150. The rest of your question is unclear. Are you asking about a post-spinal headache?

Question 7

possible to have mild(as in not needing to treat it)increased intracranial pressure?it didnt show up too high but higher than normal on spinal tap.

Accepted Answer

Context Is Key.: It is important to know why you had the spinal tap in the first place to answer your question.  Medicine is rife with what are called incidental findings, which means things are found to lie outside the normal reference range but do not necessarily require treatment.  That may possibly be applicable here.  But anything involving the brain should be evaluated in person by a medical professional.

Question 8

do you think most high intracranial pressure patients, who are shunted, are overweight? i am 85kg and have been offered a shunt but i really really don't want a shunt. my papilodema is well controlled with diamox. but my symptoms aren't?

Accepted Answer

: The shunt may benefit  you and reduce or eliminate most symptoms.  Glad to hear that papilledema is controlled with Diamox, as visual  loss is a complication of chronic increased intracranial pressure.  Get at least two surgical opinions regarding the choice of a shunt.

Question 9

what are symptoms of high intracranial pressure?

Accepted Answer

Many causes: Symptoms of increased intracranial pressure whatever cause include behavior changes, 
decreased consciousness.Headache, lethargy, 
weakness, numbness, eye movement problems, and double vision, seizures and
vomiting.

Question 10

just how high is increased intracranial pressure.?

Accepted Answer

Above 15 cm H2O: Normal intracranial pressure is 5 - 15 cm h2o.
Anything above 15 cm h2o is increased.

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Doctor answers about:

Lumbar puncture for high intracranial pressure

A member asked:

Is intracranial pressure around the back of the head and right side from sitting normal after a lumbar puncture?

A member asked:

If increased intracranial pressure(icp) is contraindicated in lumbar puncture, why one of the indication of this procedure is to decrease the icp?

A member asked:

Why is it dangerous to do the lumbar puncture in a patient with increased intracranial pressure?

A member asked:

Can they take out cfs from a vp shunts valve and measure the pressure to see how high it is instead of needing a lumbar puncture?

A member asked:

Does mild papilledema mean my vp shunt isnt working properly? i had high csf pressure a few months ago but a lumbar puncture drained it out

A member asked:

What should normal inter crainal pressure be during my last lumbar puncture my beginning pressure was 38 i was just wondering i also ha e iih?

A member asked:

Possible to have mild(as in not needing to treat it)increased intracranial pressure?it didnt show up too high but higher than normal on spinal tap.

A member asked:

Do you think most high intracranial pressure patients, who are shunted, are overweight? i am 85kg and have been offered a shunt but i really really don't want a shunt. my papilodema is well controlled with diamox. but my symptoms aren't?

A member asked:

What are symptoms of high intracranial pressure?

A member asked:

Just how high is increased intracranial pressure.?

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