ArticleTransactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene2022
A qualitative study of patient, caregiver, doctor and nurse views of factors influencing lumbar puncture uptake in Zambia.
Article in Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- Experiences and service-uptake factors of receiving and providing care for meningitis and its sequelae: a qualitative systematic review.BMC medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Cryptococcal antigen titers and semi-quantitative assay scores among people with HIV-associated cryptococcal antigenemia.Journal of clinical microbiology · 2026Article
- Lumbar Puncture Knowledge and Attitudes among Patients, Caregivers, and Healthcare Workers in Rural Zambia.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2025Article
- Usefulness of lumbar puncture educational videos for older people with HIV.Frontiers in digital health · 2025Article
- Implementation of the advanced HIV disease package of care using a public health approach: lessons from Nigeria.BMC public health · 2024Observational
- Computed Tomography of the Head Before Lumbar Puncture in Adults With Suspected Meningitis in High-HIV Prevalence Settings.Open forum infectious diseases · 2024Article
- Lived experience of people with cryptococcal meningitis: A qualitative study.Southern African journal of HIV medicine · 2024Article
- Patient, Provider, and Health Systems Factors Leading to Lumbar Puncture Nonperformance in Zambia: A Qualitative Investigation of the "Tap Gap".The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2023Article
- Diagnosis of cerebral malaria: Tools to reduceFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2023Review
- A qualitative study of factors resulting in care delays for adults with meningitis in Zambia.Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene · 2022Article
- Clinical characteristics and outcomes after new-onset seizure among Zambian children with HIV during the antiretroviral therapy era.Epilepsia open · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 6 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundUptake of lumbar puncture (LP) remains low in regions with a high prevalence of central nervous system (CNS) infections like Zambia. Efforts to improve uptake are hindered by limited understanding of factors influencing LP uptake.
methodsSemistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with patients with suspected CNS infection, caregivers, doctors and nurses at the University Teaching Hospitals in 2016. Questions focused on LP experiences, knowledge, the consent process and health system barriers to LP among patients with an LP indication. Interviews were transcribed, translated to English and analysed using a thematic approach.
resultsWe recruited 24 adult patients, 36 caregivers of adult patients, 63 caregivers of paediatric patients, 20 doctors and 30 nurses (173 in total). LP barriers arose from both patients/caregivers and health providers and included community apprehension about LP, proxy (family) consensus consent practices, competing clinical demands, wariness of patient/caregiver responses, limitations in consumables and time to complete the LP. This could result in consent not being obtained correctly. LP enablers included patient/caregiver perceived LP utility, provider comfort with LP and in-person counselling.
conclusionsLP uptake is a complex sociocultural process influenced by patient, healthcare and community-level factors. Interventions to improve uptake must address multiple barriers to be successful.
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