Answer :
Atraumatic care for a lumbar puncture in a child includes pain relief, distraction strategies, and a soothing presence. The lumbar puncture is performed in the lower lumbar area to safely collect CSF without damaging the spinal cord.
The action that provides the greatest contribution toward atraumatic care when caring for a 3-year-old child who must have a lumbar puncture is ensuring that the procedure is done with utmost care to minimize discomfort and psychological trauma. This includes proper preparation, use of pain relief measures such as topical anaesthetics, distraction techniques like music therapy, and having a comforting presence to soothe the child. The procedure is typically performed in the lower lumbar area below the spinal cord, which ends at the level of the second lumbar vertebra (L2) in adults and around the third lumbar vertebra (L3) in children, ensuring a safe insertion point for the needle to collect cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) without damaging the spinal cord.
