Lumbar Puncture
The decision to perform a lumbar puncture in a neonate with suspected earlyonset sepsis remains controversial. In the high-risk, healthy-appearing infant, data suggest that the likelihood
of meningitis is extremely low.In the infant with clinical signs that are thought to be attributable to a noninfectious condition, such as respiratory distress syndrome, the likelihood of meningitis is also low.However, in bacteremic infants, the incidence of meningitis may
be as high as 23%.