Article Text
Structured abstracts of sentinel articles: Picket
Atraumatic lumbar puncture needles are associated with fewer complications than conventional needles
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Study question: Are atraumatic lumbar puncture (LP) needles associated with lower complications rates than conventional needles?1
Study design: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised control trials comparing atraumatic needles and conventional needles for LP (for any indication). LPs without a dural puncture (epidural injections) were excluded. The review was registered prospectively.
Population: A total of 110 trials with 31 412 participants over a 28-year period (1989 to 2017). The mean age of participants was 38.6 years (SD 17.4) and 61.7% were women.
Outcomes considered: Incidence of postdural puncture headaches (PDPH) as defined by the …
Footnotes
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.