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.