Informed Consent in Lumbar Puncture: a Systematic Practice? Consentimiento informado en la punción lumbar: una práctica sistemática?

Background: the lumbar puncture is an invasive procedure doesn't exempt of risks and for its realization it is necessary to request the patient or family's informed consent. However, this practice is even controversial among our physicians. Objective: to identify how the process of informed consent works for the lumbar puncture in our means and its importance for our professionals. Methods: this study involved 90 physicians who were underwent a validated questionnaire. For the processing of numerical data was used frequency analysis and relative percent. SPSS 11.5 on Windows was employed as statistical system. Results: it was found that informed consent doesn't constitute a systematic practice in our means and was evidenced the deficiencies that even exist in its quality and application. This has been only carried out oral and the informative interest prevails above the respect to the patient's will. The physicians offer insufficient information in aspects like the explanation of the procedure, the contraindications and the complications of proceeding. For most of those interviewed the informed consent is important, but regrettably still some fear that it becomes obstacle for the realization of this to proceed. Conclusions: although most of our physicians value the importance positively of offering the informed consent when they execute the lumbar puncture, many carry out it improperly or they don't still carry out it. Lack of knowledge on the informed consent's ethical foundation and practical aspects is denoted among the physicians interviewed. Fundamento: la punción lumbar es un procedimiento invasivo no exento de riesgos y para su realización es necesario solicitar el consentimiento informado del paciente o familiar. Sin embargo, esta práctica todavía resulta controversial entre nuestros médicos. Objetivo: identificar cómo funciona el proceso de consentimiento informado para la punción lumbar en nuestro medio y su importancia para los profesionales. Métodos: este estudio comprendió 90 médicos a quienes se le aplicó un cuestionario validado. Para el procesamiento de los datos numéricos se utilizó el análisis de frecuencias relativas y porcientos. El sistema estadístico utilizado fue SPSS 11,5 sobre Windows. Resultados: se encontró que el consentimiento informado no constituye una práctica sistemática en nuestro medio y se evidenciaron las deficiencias que aún existen en cuanto a su calidad y cumplimiento. Solo se realiza oralmente y en este predomina el interés informativo por encima del respeto a la voluntad del paciente. Se ofrece insuficiente info