Lumbar puncture - Multiple Sclerosis Message Board

Kertie446 · 06-13-2009, 06:00 AM

Hi, everyone

My neurologist has scheduled a lumbar puncture to check for MS.

I am just wondering if a lumbar puncture is an outpatient or inpatient procedure as mine is scheduled as an inpatient procedure and I just wondered why that may be?

Is it perhaps because they want to do more tests on me or because I live a bit away from the hospital and will have to travel for about an hour or so to get there and the same to get back home?

I would much appreciate any suggestions you could give.

Many thanks

Kind regards

Niad

Snoopy61 · 06-13-2009, 08:17 AM

Typically the Lumbar Puncture (LP) is an outpatient procedure.

I'm not sure why you would be having it done as inpatient. If possible contact your doctors office for an explaination so you will know what to expect at the hospital.

MSNik · 06-13-2009, 05:53 PM

Hi Niad. You and I had this same conversation in a post you started on May
13th, I went back and found it, so Im not going to repeat myself- but go read your old post and if you still have specific questions, ask them!
Its never an inpatient test. Why dont you ask the doctor why he is scheduling you inpatient...the test takes 20 minutes- tops! And, you are awake the whole time...Also, a lumbar puncture isnt going to tell you if you have MS or not. ITs not a conclusive test for MS....what it will do is rule out infections, and other things which present like MS...and it MIGHT show Obands, which point towards MS...but not everyone with OBands has MS and not everyone without them is negative. I dont have OBands- but I do have MS.
Keep us postd and let us know how we can help...but why dont you call your doctors office and get an answer as to why this is inpatient? Thats something Im sure we would all like to know!
Hugs and be strong...its over quick.
Nikki

MSJayhawk · 06-13-2009, 07:13 PM

My first LP was in 1982. In those bygone years the LP was an inpatient procedure. I should think that yours should now be an out patient. You might ask why they have scheduled an inpatient.

Kertie446 · 06-14-2009, 06:50 AM

Hi, Snoopy61, Nikki and MSJayhawk.

Thanks for all of your helpful and informative posts. It's much appreciated.

Snoopy61, I'm not sure either as to why it's scheduled as inpatient and will need to ask them why as my neurologist said it was daycase.

Nikki, I am going to ask the hospital and see what they say. I don't like the idea of being awake though! I'd much rather be asleep. Though it doesn't say if I have or have not got MS, from what you describe it still sounds like a slightly useful test. That is a curious thing - how do they know if we have MS if on tests we don't show any of the typical signs for MS? Do they guess from the medical history and symptoms? That to would not be ideally accurate either.

MSJayhawk, I will contact them and see what they say. It may be because I live miles away and it isn't suitable to sit upright for hours travelling in a car. That could be perhaps why but I'm only guessing so it may not be.

I'll let you all know what they say - the reasons why it is inpatient - when I contact them.

I am a little nervous about staying in hospital overnight as I have never done it before, only had daycase where I have the procedure done on the same day and also go home on the same day. I would think it would be quite noisy at night as people would be walking around, etc. Do they turn the lights off? What is staying in hospital overnight like? I would feel probably better if I knew what to expect at night.

Many thanks and kind regards to you all.

Niad