CSF Analysis Flashcards
What is the role of CSF?
Provide a physiological system
What are the systems CSF has a role in?
Supply nutrients to nervous tissue
Remove metabolic waste
Cushion the brain against trauma
What is tube 1 used for in CSF?
Chemical and Serological tests
Least affected by blood and bacteria
Should be frozen
What is tube 2 used for in CSF?
Microbiology
Excludes skin contaminants
Stored at room temperature
What is tube 3 used for in CSF?
Hematology cell count
Least likely to contain contaminants
Refrigerated at 2-6C if not ran within 1 hour
What are the causes of a cloudy or turbid/milky CSF specimen?
Infection (WBC presence)
Increased protein/lipid concentration
What is the cause of a pink/orange or yellow CSF specimen also known as Xanthocromia?
Presence of RBC degradation products
What is the calculation used to obtain the number of cells per microliter?
cells counted x dilution factor/ #squares counted x 1 square volume (0.1)
What is seen in the result of bone marrow contamination during the spinal tap?
NRBCs
When do we see increased eosinophil in association with CSF?
Parasitic infections
Fungal infections
What happens to macrophages during a hemorrhage?
They enter the CSF within 2 - 4 hours to phagocytize RBCs
What can RBCs be degraded into?
Hemosiderin (Granules containing iron)
Hematoidin (crystals containing Hgb and unconjugated bilirubin)
What is seen in the CSF that is a serious complication of acute leukemia?
Lymphoblasts
Myeloblasts
Monoblasts
What are the primary tumor cells from the CNS?
Astrocytomas
Retinoblastomas
Medulloblastomas
Damage to the blood brain barrier, Immunoglobulin production, normal protein decrease, and neural tissue degeneration are all causes of what?
Elevated CSF protein
What are the most common causes of elevated CSF protein?
Meningitis and hemorrhage
What is the normal value of CSF glucose?
60%-70% of plasma glucose
What level of glucose and what type of cells do we see in Bacterial Meningitis?
Low glucose
Neutrophils
