Lester Lancour is a 2-year-old male patient who has had a high fever for more than 72 hours.

Lester Lancour is a 2-year-old male patient who has had a high fever for more than 72 hours. Dr. Adams is certain that the child has meningitis. He has ordered a lumbar puncture in order to determine if the problem is viral or bacterial. Dr. Adam’s order indicates that he wants an identification of the white blood cells (differential) that may be present in the CSF. What is a lumbar puncture and how is it performed? Discuss the diagnostic significance of elevated white blood cells in CSF. List the diseases that can be identified by an elevated white blood cell count.