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Can ultrasound make spinal taps hit the spot on the first try?

NCT ID NCT07824284

Diagnosis Sponsor: The Cooper Health System Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only This study
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 17, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers compare two ways to find the needle insertion site for a lumbar puncture in adults: pre-procedural ultrasound or standard palpation of bony landmarks. Participants are randomly assigned to one method or the other. The trial measures whether the first needle insertion yields cerebrospinal fluid, along with overall success, number of needle insertions, procedure time, pain, and post-dural puncture headache.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
pre-procedural point-of-care ultrasound to locate the lumbar puncture site
What this could lead to
If ultrasound guidance helps, it could make lumbar punctures faster and more reliable for adults who need one, reducing repeat needle sticks.
What could go wrong
Ultrasound adds setup time and requires training, so it may not beat skilled palpation. Results from this single-center trial may not apply everywhere.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 132 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Apr 2026

Expected to finish

Dec 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged 18 years old and above * Patients requiring lumbar puncture for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes as determined by the treating physician * Must be able to give informed consent, or if unable, have a legally authorized representative provide written consent Exclusion Criteria: * Inability to safely undergo bedside lumbar puncture (either ultrasound-guided or palpation guided) as determined by the treating physician * Known contraindications to lumbar puncture, including: * Increased intracranial pressure with risk of herniation * Infection at the lumbar puncture site * Known coagulopathy or platelet count \<50,000 µL * Received DVT prophylaxis on the day of planned lumbar puncture

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Post-Dural Puncture Headache

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Lumbar puncture

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Cooper University Hospital

    Camden, New Jersey, 08103, United States

  • University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States

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