“Normal” cerebrospinal fluid

Abstract

Using a large dataset of atraumatic lumbar punctures from 677 infants who were febrile under 90 days of age and did not have bacterial or enteroviral central nervous system infection, Byington et al have established that “normal” cerebrospinal fluid white blood cell counts generally are lower than previously thought. These findings likely are due to differences in enrollment criteria by study, viral diagnostic testing performed to exclude infants with enteroviral infection, and statistical methodology that eliminated outlier values from analysis. These values are likely to inform clinicians more optimally when they are weighing the findings in individual patients. Article page 33 ▸ Normative Cerebrospinal Fluid Profiles in Febrile InfantsThe Journal of PediatricsVol. 158Issue 1PreviewTo describe the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) profiles of febrile infants aged 1 to 90 days with negative bacterial culture test results and negative results for enteroviruses with polymerase chain reaction. Full-Text PDF