Testing & Diagnosis for Poliomyelitis in Children

How does a doctor know that it's poliomyelitis?

In addition to a complete medical history and physical exam, your doctor may want to run a few tests including:

• Cultures (of the throat, urine, and stool)
• Lumbar puncture (spinal tap)
  • a special needle is placed into the lower back, into the spinal canal
  • measures the pressure in the spinal canal and brain
  • a small amount of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) can be removed and sent for testing to determine if there is an infection or other problems
  • not be recommended if your child is very ill