I had an extremely busy day today in the hospital. Many of the patients have complicated problems, but one of them all of a sudden became unable to stand up or walk.
To investigate, we ordered a bunch of brain scans. But in addition, we need to check his spinal fluid for any signs of infection. It's up to me to suck the spinal fluid from his back. This procedure is commonly known as the spinal tap, but doctors like to call it "lumbar puncture".
To do it right, I had to align his spine perfectly without any rotation. Too much flexion would prevent the needle from reaching the spinal space, and too much rotation would twist his vertebrae so the needle could not advance.
Luckily, I had a good nurse to help me hold him down. His mother was also in the room, comforting him. I got it with a single stick. There's no bleeding. Crystal clear spinal fluid streamed out from the needle like pure mountain stream.
Boy, that felt even better than getting a head shot in CS:S.
