Lumbar Puncture in Saudi Arabia: Knowledge, Awareness, Acceptance and its Refusal Among Health Professionals

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Lumbar puncture (LP) is a standard technique to acquire cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for either diagnostic or therapeutic management of neurological disorders. This study assesses the awareness and level of acceptance of LP among medical laboratory students. The study also investigates the level of understanding of the purpose of performing LP and determines the acceptance rate among the study population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Taif, Saudi Arabia, using an online questionnaire distributed among medical laboratory students attending the College of Applied Medical Sciences at Taif University. Of over 200 questionnaires distributed, 176 students responded. The questionnaire queried students’ sociodemographic information, their knowledge, acceptance rate, and possible complications and precautions concerning LP. A univariate analysis was performed. Results: The study showed that 81.8% of participants were aware of LP. About 53.6% of participants received their information from their education. The participants’ understanding of the side effects and precautions surrounding LP operations was significantly high at 87.5% and 72.7%, respectively. In all, 65.9% of participants reported their acceptance compared to 34.1% of participants who did not accept LP. In contrast, about 72.7% of participants preferred not to do LP, even if the LP was prescribed by their doctor. Conclusion and Implications for Translation: The study showed high knowledge of the purpose, process, and duration of the LP procedure among clinical laboratory students. The key reasons for the rejection of the LP operation, for the majority of participants, were fear of injection and side effects, notably paralysis. This research demonstrated the need to raise proficiency in implementation and awareness of LP using methods such as training courses, academic seminars, and social media.