Bonadio et al developed an equation for estimated the depth involved in performing a lumbar puncture in a pediatric patient. This is especially helpful in working with small children. The authors are from the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Each pediatric patient had the lumbar puncture performed in the right lateral decubitus position with maximal flexure of the neck and waist. The needle was introduced in the L3-L4 vertebral interspace.
depth of the lumbar puncture in cm =
= (2.56 * (body surface area in square meters)) + 0.77 cm
where:
• For the implementation I used the equations of Lindahl and Okmian to estimate the body surface area for body weights up to 40 kilograms (02.07.09) and the equation of Dubois and Dubois for over 40 kilograms.
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