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The following is a summary of “Antiplatelet therapy is not associated with increased risk of complications after lumbar puncture,” published in the December 2024 issue of Neurology by Stichaller et al.
Lumbar puncture (LP) is a critical diagnostic procedure for neurological conditions, though complications like post-dural puncture headache (PDPH), back pain, and hematoma can occur.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess whether antiplatelet therapy (APT) affects complications following LP.
They analyzed 783 patients who underwent diagnostic LP and used multivariate logistic regression to examine complications, adjusting for age, sex, and other factors. Of the 783 patients, 111 (14.2%) were receiving APT.
The results showed complications occurred in 182 (23.2%) patients, with PDPH in 152 (19.4%) and back pain in 42 (5.4%). Younger age (OR 1.49 per 10 years, 95% CI 1.32–1.69, P<0.001) and female sex (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.19–2.54, P=0.005) were associated with an increased risk of complications. APT (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.30–1.36, P=0.241) was unrelated to complications.
They concluded that APT was not associated with an increased risk of complications after LP, suggesting APT does not need to be withheld before the procedure.
Source: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00415-024-12864-6
