Ultrasound may help doctors hit the mark on infant spinal taps
NCT ID NCT02918149
First seen Jul 13, 2026 · Last updated Jul 14, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study compares two methods for performing a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) in infants up to 6 months old. One method uses ultrasound to guide the needle, while the other relies on feeling for landmarks on the back. The goal is to see if ultrasound helps doctors succeed on the first try, reducing the need for repeated needle sticks.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Ultrasound-assisted lumbar puncture technique
- What this could lead to
- If ultrasound improves success rates, it could reduce the number of needle sticks and complications for infants needing a spinal tap.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, single-center study, so results may not apply to all hospitals. Ultrasound may not significantly improve success over the traditional method.
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
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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
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91 people
The number who actually took part.
- Start date
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Sep 2016
- Finished
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Aug 2020
- Lead sponsor
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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
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Up to 6 months
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Neonates and infants aged ≤6 months 2. Clinical indication for a lumbar puncture (LP), as determined by the clinical team 3. Availability of study personnel to perform bedside ultrasound Exclusion Criteria: 1. Known spinal cord abnormality (for e.g., tethered cord, spina bifida) 2. Presence of skin and soft tissue infection at insertion site 3. Recent failed LP traumatic LP attempts within the preceding 48 hours 4. Recent diagnosis of intraventricular hemorrhage, within the preceding 7 days 5. Clinically unstable patient, as determined by the clinical team 6. Eligible patients on the resident care team
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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