[Clinical experiences of normal saline pressed injection via lumbar puncture in the treatment of apnea due to acute tonsillar hernia].

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the clinical experiences of normal saline pressed injection via lumbar puncture in the treatment of acute tonsillar hernia induced apnea. This procedure was routinely carried out after external ventricular drainage and/or lesion removal via open craniotomy. METHODS: During the period of 1969 to 2005, a total of 43 patients failed to regain respiratory after external ventricular drainage using rapid small hole cranio-puncture apparatus or lesion removal via open craniotomy. They underwent lumbar puncture and normal saline was pressed injected via a lumbar puncture needle. The patient data were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Eleven of 43 patients had spontaneous respiration and fully recovered (25.6%), 16 patients regained respiration but died eventually (37.2%) and 16 patients failed to regain respiration (37.2%). The effective rate was 62.8%. CONCLUSION: For the patients failing to regain respiration after external ventricular drainage or supratentorial lesion removal via open craniotomy, the conservative treatment should not be the first choice. The pressed injection of normal saline via lumbar puncture may rescue some patients.