A member asked:

How long does it take to get spinal tap results back?

6 doctors weighed in across 2 answers

Pretty fast: The initial results of a spinal tap usually take less than 30 min to run in most hospitals. You should have the results of the cell count and the chemistry(glucose and protein)very fast.A gram stain to look for bacteria is also done very quickly. What may take longer is the definition of the type of organism(1-5d). Special tests for multiple sclerosis or prion disease may take longer(a few days).

Answered 8/18/2020

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Dr. Soren Singel answered

Specializes in Neurosurgery

Lab dependent: Hospital labs - less than an hour for chemistry, cell counts. Few hours for gram stain, up to a few days for cultures and sensitivities. Outpatient labs such as from your neurology office (outsourced processing) takes longer.

Answered 6/23/2017

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