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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Can Lumbar Puncture Be Done For Children Showing The Signs Of Viral Meningitis?

So my 5 year son caught viral meningitis and now his 4 year old sister and 10 year old brother have been showing the same signs . My 5 yrs old was hospitalized for 4 days and it came back viral . My question is should I have them get the lumbar puncture as well or assuming they also have the viral meningitis and just treat the symptoms . Because I m almost sure it was the same viral meningitis because they both displayed the low grade fever and complaints of headache and loss of appetite . I took my 4 yrs old to a doctors appointment and she didn t have the fever or the headache when she was seen by the doctor. So I ve been treating her symptoms . So now my oldest is complaining of the same thing so I am assuming it s the same type of viral infection that has spread among the siblings. So what would be your best advice on this matter. I m just a very concerned parent who has lost a 2 year old in 2001 to bacterial meningitis .
posted on Wed, 11 Mar 2015
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