Lumbar Puncture with Nusinersen (Spinraza)

How to take care of the injection site

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Your child had a lumbar puncture (LP) or spinal tap with a medicine called nusinersen (Spinraza). That means we placed a needle in your child’s spine, removed fluid and injected medicine.

How do I prevent infection?

Keep the Band-Aid or dressing clean and dry.
Leave the dressing in place until bedtime or the next morning.
Remove the dressing the next morning.
Do not leave the dressing on for more than 24 hours. A dirty dressing could increase the chance for infection.

Will my child have pain?

We partner with you and your child to prevent and relieve pain as completely as possible. We gave your child a numbing medicine on their skin (lidocaine), anesthesia, or both during the lumbar puncture. This should help reduce pain after they wake up. Most children do not require prescription pain medicine unless we had trouble getting the needle into the spine. We will tell you if this happened and if your child may be uncomfortable. Let your provider know if your child complains of pain at home.

Side Effects

How do I manage lumbar puncture side effects?

Side effects are rare after lumbar puncture. One possible side effect is a spinal headache, which may feel like dull, throbbing pain that gets worse while sitting up or standing. We will ask your child to lie flat for 1 hour after the procedure to reduce the chance of this headache. Call the clinic if your child complains of a severe headache or is more irritable.

When you get home, give your child plenty of fluids to help prevent a headache. Most of the time, spinal headaches go away within 24 hours.

How do I manage Spinraza side effects?

Spinraza may have the side effect of your child's blood not forming a scab (not clotting). Platelets help blood clot, and Spinraza may reduce them, a condition called thrombocytopenia (throm-buh-sye-tuh-PEE-nee-uh). There is also a risk for inflammation in the kidney where it cannot get rid of wastes, called glomerulonephritis (gluh-MARE-you-low-ne-FRY-tis).

Your child will need to go to the lab for both a blood and pee (urine) test before every Spinraza dose to check for these possible side effects and to ensure it is safe for them to receive their next dose of the medicine. Your child’s neuromuscular team will discuss details about the lab process and location with you.

When should I call the clinic?

Call the neuromuscular nurse line at 206-987-6678, option 3 for information or concerns or if you notice any of these warning signs:

Swelling, bruising or redness / darker skin tone around the puncture site
Pain that gets worse while standing or sitting
Fever of 101.4o F (38.3o C) or higher
Blood or clear fluid draining from the puncture site
Severe headache or increased irritability
Nosebleeds
Brown pee (urine)

To Learn More

Free Interpreter Services

In the hospital, ask your nurse.
From outside the hospital, call the toll-free Family Interpreting Line, 1-866-583-1527. Tell the interpreter the name or extension you need.

Seattle Children’s offers free interpreter services for patients, family members and legal representatives who are deaf or hard of hearing or speak a language other than English. Seattle Children’s will make this information available in alternate formats upon request. Call the Family Resource Center at 206-987-2201. This handout has been reviewed by clinical staff at Seattle Children’s. However, your needs are unique. Before you act or rely upon this information, please talk with your healthcare provider.

05/01/2025

PE2669