Effect of Evidence-Based Guidelines on Nurses' Knowledge and Practice Regarding Management of Post Lumbar Puncture Headache in Children with Meningitis

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Lecturer of Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Banha University, Egypt

Abstract

Background: Meningitis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality around the world. It is 
diagnosed via lumbar puncture that its most consequence in children is headache, so evidencebased practice guidelines offer direction for headache management. The study's aim was 
analyzing the effect of evidence-based guidelines on nurses' knowledge and practice regarding 
management of post lumbar puncture headache. Research design: A quasi experimental design. 
Setting: Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Benha Fever Hospital. Study sample was a convenient 
sample consisted of all nurses worked in selected setting (40). Tools of data collection included 
Tool (I) A structured Interviewing Questionnaire Sheet that consisted of; Part (1): Personal 
characteristics of nurses. Part (2): Nurses' knowledge regarding post lumbar puncture headache. Tool 
(II): Lumbar puncture observational checklist. The results revealed that there was highly 
statistical significance difference between nurses’ total level of knowledge and practice regarding 
post lumbar puncture headache in the studied nurses pre compared to post guidelines. It is 
concluded that evidence-based practice guidelines significantly improved nurses' knowledge and 
practices regarding management of post lumbar puncture headache in children. Recommendation
is designing a standard for nursing practice regarding management of post lumbar puncture 
headache in children