lumbar puncture
5
5.3
- noun
- /ˈlʌm.bɑr ˈpʌŋk.tʃər/
- Specialized
:
punción lumbar
- The doctor recommended a lumbar puncture to test for any potential infections in the spinal fluid.
- perform a lumbar puncture
- patients who underwent a lumbar puncture
- do a lumbar puncture
Examples
-
CSF samples were obtained from patients with suspected meningococcal disease and control patients who underwent lumbar puncture at the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.
Academic text (1992) -
And the lumbar puncture that Doctor Hersch took revealed an excess of red blood cells in the spinal fluid.
-
Medical workup, including lumbar puncture, was negative.
Academic text (2009) -
If this scan is normal, a lumbar puncture should be done 12 hours after the onset of the headache.
Academic text (1996) -
On lumbar puncture, his CSF was clear, though it contained 28 lymphocytes/mL.
Academic text (1999) -
A lumbar puncture was performed, and the CSF was sent for analysis; the pathologist reported pyogenic meningitis.
Academic text (2007) -
At lumbar puncture, most patients had a slightly raised CSF protein, and some had a CSF lymphocyte pleocytosis.
Academic text (1999) -
Lumbar puncture was performed, and CSF showed lymphocytic pleocytosis with elevated protein levels and low glucose levels (Table).
Academic text (2015) -
Aseptic meningitis was diagnosed in four employees from facility A after lumbar punctures demonstrated lymphocytic CSF (Table 2).
Academic text (2014) -
Lumbar puncture was performed; analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) showed polymorph pleocytosis, elevated protein levels, and low glucose levels (Table).
Academic text (2015)
Synonyms
9
5.8
To remove fluid from the lower back with a needle for testing
A medical procedure that takes fluid from the lower spine for tests or treatment
How Invasive
- Specialized
12
4.0
- Specialized
5
5.3
- Specialized
4
3.6
32
3.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is compositionally built from 'lumbar' (relating to the lower back) and 'puncture' (to pierce), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to piercing in the lower back — i.e., a medical procedure. The specific medical detail (removing spinal fluid) is a specialist refinement, but the core meaning is directly derivable from the constituents and cross-linguistically paralleled, making it transparent.
Etymology
Lumbar puncture describes a simple, literal action: a doctor inserts a needle into the lower back, the lumbar area, to puncture the space around the spine and take out fluid. That's why lumbar puncture means 'a procedure to remove fluid from the lower spine'.