Sofia Kamakh Asaad1, Carsten Reidies Bjarkam2. 1. Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University Hospital, Hobrovej 18-22, 9100, Aalborg, Denmark. s.asaad@rn.dk. 2. Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University Hospital, Hobrovej 18-22, 9100, Aalborg, Denmark.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Acutely increased intracranial pressure (ICP) is frequently managed by external ventricular drainage (EVD). This procedure is life-saving but marred by a high incidence of complications. It has recently been indicated that bolt-connected external ventricular drainage (BC-EVD) compared to the standard technique of tunnelled EVD (T-EVD) may result in less complications. AIM: To prospectively sample and compare two cohorts by consecutive allocation to either BC-EVD or T-EVD from the introduction of the BC-EVD technique in our department and 12 months onward. METHODS: Patients undergoing ventriculostomy between the 1st of March 2017 and the 28th of February 2018 were considered for inclusion. The neurosurgeon on-call sovereignly set the indication and decided on EVD type (BC-EVD or T-EVD), consequently resulting in two cohorts as 3/7 senior neurosurgeons on call were open to the use of BC-EVD, while 4/7 were reluctant to use this technique. Data was continuously collected using patient records, including results of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culturing and available CT/MRI-scans. Recorded complications included CSF leakage, accidental discontinuation, placement-related intracranial haemorrhage, malfunction, migration, infection and revision. RESULTS: Forty-nine EVDs (32 T-EVDs/17 BC-EVDs) were included; 19/32 (59.4%) T-EVDs and 3/17 (17.6%) BC-EVDs were found to have complications (p = 0.007). The relative risk of complications when using T-EVD was 3.4 times that of BC-EVD. CONCLUSION: Ventriculostomy by BC-EVD compared to T-EVD reduces incidence and risk of complications and should be the first choice in EVD placement. That said, T-EVD has a role in paediatric patients and for intraoperatively and occipitally placed EVDs.
BACKGROUND: Acutely increased intracranial pressure (ICP) is frequently managed by external ventricular drainage (EVD). This procedure is life-saving but marred by a high incidence of complications. It has recently been indicated that bolt-connected external ventricular drainage (BC-EVD) compared to the standard technique of tunnelled EVD (T-EVD) may result in less complications. AIM: To prospectively sample and compare two cohorts by consecutive allocation to either BC-EVD or T-EVD from the introduction of the BC-EVD technique in our department and 12 months onward. METHODS:Patients undergoing ventriculostomy between the 1st of March 2017 and the 28th of February 2018 were considered for inclusion. The neurosurgeon on-call sovereignly set the indication and decided on EVD type (BC-EVD or T-EVD), consequently resulting in two cohorts as 3/7 senior neurosurgeons on call were open to the use of BC-EVD, while 4/7 were reluctant to use this technique. Data was continuously collected using patient records, including results of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culturing and available CT/MRI-scans. Recorded complications included CSF leakage, accidental discontinuation, placement-related intracranial haemorrhage, malfunction, migration, infection and revision. RESULTS: Forty-nine EVDs (32 T-EVDs/17 BC-EVDs) were included; 19/32 (59.4%) T-EVDs and 3/17 (17.6%) BC-EVDs were found to have complications (p = 0.007). The relative risk of complications when using T-EVD was 3.4 times that of BC-EVD. CONCLUSION: Ventriculostomy by BC-EVD compared to T-EVD reduces incidence and risk of complications and should be the first choice in EVD placement. That said, T-EVD has a role in paediatric patients and for intraoperatively and occipitally placed EVDs.
Authors: Charlene Y C Chau; Claudia L Craven; Andres M Rubiano; Hadie Adams; Selma Tülü; Marek Czosnyka; Franco Servadei; Ari Ercole; Peter J Hutchinson; Angelos G Kolias Journal: J Clin Med Date: 2019-09-10 Impact factor: 4.241