Introduction:
Despite all the progress in the diagnostic modalities, lumbar puncture
(LP) remains a cornerstone diagnostic, therapeutic, and anesthetic
procedure. When suspecting Central Nervous System (CNS) diseases such as
infections, LP usually is the method of choice to confirm it or rule it
out.
However, the procedure for LP presents a source of anxiety and fear to
patients and their relatives, leading to refusal of the procedure on
many occasions which may compromise or delay the patients, accurate
management.1 Moreover, the lack of a
Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) sample for analysis and cultures in CNS
infections, for example, may lead to unnecessary use of multiple
broad-spectrum antibiotics and other antimicrobials as empirical
therapy, which might be associated with side effects, increased cost and
development of antimicrobial resistance.
Obtaining informed consent to perform LP could be considered more
challenging as compared to other common invasive medical procedures. LP
refusal was reported by some studies1 as well as
requiring more time and effort to get consent than other more risky and
painful procedures in the emergency
department.2 This could be related to
people’s misconceptions about LP and inadequate communication tools and
skills when consent is sought. Previously, specific criteria were
suggested for appropriate informed consent for LP, including risks and
benefits, alternatives to the procedure, explanation of the procedure,
and a signature of a witness.3
The use of videos to present information seeking consent is not a new
approach, starting in the 1970s,4 and it was
used to get consent for diagnostic
procedures.5-7 Nowadays, this tool may have
much broader applications in the current era of modern online video
streaming and advanced technology tools.
In the present study, we aimed to assess a newly developed educational
tool that could help in facilitating LP consenting, with the use of
instructional video, with simple terminology in the parents’ native
language, and tailored to their social background and beliefs.