Table 2.

Contraindications to lumbar puncture [9].

Contraindication	Comment
Raised intracranial pressure:
Alteration in level of  consciousness
Papilloedema
Focal neurological signs	Excluding an isolated cranial nerve VI or VII palsy
Prolonged seizures	Delay lumbar puncture for 30 minutes in simple, short seizures only
History of selected CNS disease	CSF shunts, hydrocephalus, trauma, post neurosurgery, or known space-occupying lesion
Immunocompromise	HIV/AIDS, on immunosuppressive therapy, post-transplantation
Coagulation disorders
Cardiorespiratory insufficiency
Localised infection at site of needle insertion