Role of external ventricular drainage in the management of intraventricular hemorrhage; its complications and management

Analysis of short-term ventilation weaning for patients in spontaneous supratentorial intracranial hemorrhage

Prolonged ventilation is a complication of spontaneous supratentorial hemorrhage patients, but the predictive relationship with successful weaning in this patient cohort is not understood. Here, we evaluate the incidence and factors of ventilation weaning in case of spontaneous supratentorial hemorrhage. We retrospectively studied data from 166 patients in the same hospital from January 2015 to March 2021 and analyzed factors for ventilation weaning. The clinical data recorded included patient age, gender, timing of operation, initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) score, alcohol drinking, cigarette smoking, medical comorbidity, and the blood data. Predictors of patient outcomes were determined by the Student t test, chi-square test, and logistic regression. We recruited and followed 166 patients who received operation for spontaneous supratentorial hemorrhage with cerebral herniation. The group of successful weaning had 84 patients and the group of weaning failed had 82 patients. The patient's age, type of operation, GCS on admission to the Intensive care unit (ICU), GCS at discharge from the ICU, medical comorbidity was significantly associated with successful weaning, according to Student t test and the chi-square test. According to our findings, patients with stereotaxic surgery, less history of cardiovascular or prior cerebral infarction, GCS >8 before admission to the hospital for craniotomy, and a blood albumin value >3.5 g/dL have a higher chance of being successfully weaned off the ventilator within 14 days.

Efficacy and safety of bedside percutaneous three-millimeter twist-drill trephination under local anesthesia-a retrospective study of 1000 patients

PURPOSE

Percutaneous 3-mm twist-drill trephination (TDT) under local anesthesia as a bedside operative technique is an alternative to the conventional open surgical trephination in the operating theatre. The aim of this study was to verify the efficacy and safety of this minimal invasive procedure.

METHODS

This retrospective study comprises 1000 patients who were treated with TDT under local anesthesia at bedside due to chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH), intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and hydrocephalus (HYD) as a result of subarachnoid hemorrhage or non-hemorrhagic causes, increased intracranial pressure (IIP) in traumatic brain injury or non-traumatic brain edema, and other pathologies (OP) requiring drainage. Medical records, clinical outcome, and results of pre- and postoperative computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) were analyzed.

RESULTS

Indications for TDT were cSDH (n = 275; 27.5%), ICH (n = 291; 29.1%), HYD (n = 316; 31.6%), IIP (n = 112; 11.2%), and OP (n = 6; 0.6%). Overall, primary catheter placement was sufficient in 93.8% of trephinations. Complication rate was 14.1% and mainly related to primary catheter malposition (6.2%), infections (5.2%), and secondary hemorrhage (2.7%); the majority of which were clinically inapparent puncture channel bleedings not requiring surgical intervention. The revision rate was 13%.

CONCLUSIONS

Bedside TDT under local anesthesia has proven to be an effective and safe alternative to the conventional burr-hole operative technique as usually performed under general anesthesia in the operation theatre, and may be particularly useful in emergency cases as well as in elderly and multimorbid patients.

Delayed Intracerebral Hematoma after Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt in the Context of Ruptured Brain Arteriovenous Malformation: A Literature Review

Hemorrhagic complications arising from ventricular drainage procedures are typically asymptomatic and of low volume. A particular subset of these complications, known as delayed intracranial hemorrhage (DICH), is however recognized for its particularly poor prognosis. We primarily aimed to identify epidemiological characteristics associated with DICH, to shed light on its occurrence and potential risk factors. To do so, we performed a retrospective analysis of a series of ten patients who presented with DICH in the context of a ruptured brain arteriovenous malformation (bAVM) and a systematic literature review of all DICH cases reported in the literature. Our ten patients showed delayed neurological deterioration after a ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) procedure, with a computed tomography (CT) scan revealing a DICH surrounding the ventricular catheter, distinct and away from the nidus of their previously ruptured bAVM. Four patients (40%) rapidly declined and passed away, three (30%) required surgical management and the remaining three (30%) demonstrated gradual clinical improvement with conservative management. In the literature, most patients presenting with DICH had hydrocephalus associated with neurovascular disorders (47% of cases), such as bAVM rupture in our present series. These constatations point out the significance of the underlying pathologies potentially being predisposed to these unusual complications.

Risk Factors for External Ventricular Drainage-Related Infection: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background and Objectives

External ventricular drainage (EVD) is one of the most commonly performed neurosurgical procedures, but EVD-related infection constitutes a significant health concern. Yet, little consensus identifies the risk factors for the development of EVD-related infection. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to systematically summarize existing evidence on the incidence and risk factors for EVD-related infection.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases from database inception to February 28, 2022, were searched for all studies investigating the incidence and risk factors for EVD-related infection. Data were assessed by R-4.2.0 software. The meta-analysis was used to calculate pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

A total of 48 studies were included. Among the 29 factors analyzed, statistically significant risk factors were subarachnoid hemorrhage(SAH)/intraventricular hemorrhage(IVH) (OR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.20-1.82, p < 0.001), concomitant systemic infection (OR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.34-2.70, p < 0.001), other neurosurgical procedures (OR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.02-3.04, p = 0.041), change of catheter (OR = 5.05, 95% CI = 3.67-6.96, p < 0.001), bilateral EVDs (OR = 2.25, 95% CI = 1.03-4.89, p = 0.041), (cerebrospinal fluid) CSF leak (OR = 3.19, 95% CI = 2.12-4.81, p < 0.001) and duration of EVD >7 days (OR = 4.62, 95% CI = 2.26-9.43, p < 0.001). The use of silver-coated catheters (OR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.38-0.87, p = 0.008) and antibiotic-impregnated catheters (OR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.41-0.88, p = 0.009) might help reduce the risk of infection. No significant difference was indicated in studies evaluating factors like diabetes mellitus (OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 0.90-1.75, p = 0.178), steroids used (OR = 1.52, 95% CI = 0.96-2.4, p = 0.074), prophylactic antibiotics(OR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.66-1.14, p = 0.308).

Discussion

The meta-analysis of various relevant factors in the onset of EVD-related infection in patients submitted to EVD enabled us to establish a more probable profile of the patients who are more likely to develop it during the treatment.

Treatment of Intraventricular Hemorrhage with External Ventricular Drainage and Fibrinolysis: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Complications and Outcome

BACKGROUND

External ventricular drainage (EVD) is a key factor in the treatment of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) but associated with risks and complications. Intraventricular fibrinolysis (IVF) has been proposed to improve clinical outcome and reduce complications of EVD treatment. The following review and metaanalysis provides a comprehensive evaluation of IVH treatment with external ventricular drainage (EVD) and intraventricular fibrinolysis (IVF) with regards to complications and clinical outcomes.

METHODS

The PRISMA guidelines were followed preparing this review. Studies included in the meta-analysis were compared using forest plots and the related odds ratios.

RESULTS

After a literature search, 980 articles were identified and 65 and underwent full-text review. Forty-two articles were included in the review and meta-analysis. We found that bolted and antibiotic-coated catheters were superior to tunnelled/uncoated catheters (P < 0.001) and antibiotic- vs. silver-impregnated catheters (P < 0.001]) in preventing infection. Shunt dependency was related to the volume of blood in the ventricles but unaffected by IVF (P = 0.98). IVF promoted hematoma clearance, decreased mortality (22.4% vs. 40.9% with IVF vs. no IVF, respectively, P < 0.00001), improved good functional outcomes (47.2% [IVF] vs. 38.3% [no IVF], P = 0.03), and reduced the rate of catheter occlusion from 37.3% without IVF to 10.6% with IVF (P = 0.0003).

CONCLUSIONS

We present evidence and best practice recommendations for the treatment of IVH with EVD and intraventricular fibrinolysis. Our analysis further provides a comprehensive quantitative reference of the most relevant clinical endpoints for future studies on novel IVH technologies and treatments.

Postprocedural Complications of External Ventricular Drains: A Meta-Analysis Evaluating the Absolute Risk of Hemorrhages, Infections, and Revisions

BACKGROUND

External ventricular drain (EVD) insertion is often a lifesaving procedure frequently used in neurosurgical emergencies. It is routinely done at the bedside in the neurocritical care unit or in the emergency room. However, there are infectious and noninfectious complications associated with this procedure. This meta-analysis sought to evaluate the absolute risk associated with EVD hemorrhages, infections, and revisions. The secondary purpose was to identify and characterize risk factors for EVD complications.

METHODS

We searched the MEDLINE (PubMed) database for "external ventricular drain," "external ventricular drain" + "complications" or "Hemorrhage" or "Infection" or "Revision" irrespective of publication year. Estimates from individual studies were combined using a random effects model, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated with maximum likelihood specification. To investigate heterogeneity, the t2 and I2 tests were utilized. To evaluate for publication bias, a funnel plot was developed.

RESULTS

There were 260 total studies screened from our PubMed literature database search, with 176 studies selected for full-text review, and all of these 176 studies were included in the meta-analysis as they met the inclusion criteria. A total of 132,128 EVD insertions were reported, with a total of 130,609 participants having at least one EVD inserted. The pooled absolute risk (risk difference) and percentage of the total variability due to true heterogeneity (I2) for hemorrhagic complication was 1236/10,203 (risk difference: -0.63; 95% CI: -0.66 to -0.60; I2: 97.8%), infectious complication was 7278/125,909 (risk difference: -0.65; 95% CI: -0.67 to -0.64; I2: 99.7%), and EVD revision was 674/4416 (risk difference: -0.58; 95% CI: -0.65 to -0.51; I2: 98.5%). On funnel plot analysis, we had a variety of symmetrical plots, and asymmetrical plots, suggesting no bias in larger studies, and the lack of positive effects/methodological quality in smaller studies.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, these findings provide valuable information regarding the safety of one of the most important and most common neurosurgical procedures, EVD insertion. Implementing best-practice standards is recommended in order to reduce EVD-related complications. There is a need for more in-depth research into the independent risk factors associated with these complications, as well as confirmation of these findings by well-structured prospective studies.

Risk factors of postoperative hydrocephalus following decompressive craniectomy for spontaneous intracranial hemorrhages and intraventricular hemorrhage

INTRODUCTION

Hydrocephalus is a complication of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage; however, its predictive relationship with hydrocephalus in this patient cohort is not understood. Here, we evaluated the incidence and risk factors of hydrocephalus after craniectomy.

METHODS

Retrospectively studied data from 39 patients in the same hospital from 2016/01 to 2020/12 and analyzed risk factors for hydrocephalus. The clinical data recorded included patient age, sex, timing of surgery, initial Glasgow Coma Scale score, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) score, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, medical comorbidity, and blood data. Predictors of patient outcomes were determined using Student t test, chi-square test, and logistic regression.

RESULTS

We recruited 39 patients with cerebral herniation who underwent craniectomy for spontaneous supratentorial hemorrhage. Persistent hydrocephalus was observed in 17 patients. The development of hydrocephalus was significantly associated with the timing of operation, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption according to the Student t test and chi-square test. Univariate and multivariate analyses suggested that postoperative hydrocephalus was significantly associated with the timing of surgery (P = .031) and cigarette smoking (P = .041).

DISCUSSION

The incidence of hydrocephalus in patients who underwent delayed operation (more than 4 hours) was lower than that in patients who underwent an operation after less than 4 hours. nonsmoking groups also have lower incidence of hydrocephalus. Among patients who suffered from spontaneous supratentorial hemorrhage and need to receive emergent craniectomy, physicians should be reminded that postoperative hydrocephalus followed by ventriculoperitoneal shunting may be necessary in the future.

Longitudinal ventricular cerebrospinal fluid profile in patients with spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage

Background

Spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a severe neurological disease that frequently requires placement of external ventricular drainage (EVD). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) obtained via the drain is used to detect potential complications of SAH.

Objective

This study aimed to describe the longitudinal profile of routine CSF parameters in patients with SAH and to identify associations with neurological complications.

Methods

A total of thirty-three patients with spontaneous SAH who required an EVD and had at least three consecutive CSF samples collected over a period of more than 7 days were included in this study.

Results

A median of 6 longitudinally collected CSF samples per patient were available within 1–22 days after SAH onset. Overall, red blood cells (RBC) steadily decreased over time, whereas white blood cells (WBC) and total protein (TP) increased until days 6 and 13, respectively, and decreased thereafter. The estimated decay rates of RBC, WBC, and TP were 28, 22, and 6% per day. Distinct CSF patterns over time were linked to known complications after SAH. Patients with rebleeding showed increased RBC, TP, and phagocytosing cells compared to patients without re-bleeding. For ventriculitis, an elevated cell index with a higher proportion of granulocytes was characteristic. CSF of patients with delayed cerebral ischemia showed increased RBC and WBC compared to patients without DCI. Early CSF WBC and cell index were predictive for the occurrence of DCI and ventriculitis later during the disease course. The amount of daily CSF drainage via EVD had no impact on routine CSF parameters.

Conclusion

Longitudinal CSF characteristics are associated with SAH-related complications.

Prediction of Intracranial Infection in Patients under External Ventricular Drainage and Neurological Intensive Care: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective: To generate an optimal prediction model along with identifying major contributors to intracranial infection among patients under external ventricular drainage and neurological intensive care. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted among patients admitted into neurointensive care units between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2020 who underwent external ventricular drainage due to traumatic brain injury, hydrocephalus, and nonaneurysmal spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage. Multivariate logistic regression in combination with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression was applied to derive prediction models and optimize variable selections. Other machine-learning algorithms, including the support vector machine and K-nearest neighbor, were also applied to derive alternative prediction models. Five-fold cross-validation was used to train and validate each model. Model performance was assessed by calibration plots, receiver operating characteristic curves, and decision curves. A nomogram analysis was developed to explicate the weights of selected features for the optimal model. Results: Multivariate logistic regression showed the best performance among the three tested models with an area under curve of 0.846 ± 0.006. Six variables, including hemoglobin, albumin, length of operation time, American Society of Anesthesiologists grades, presence of traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage, and a history of diabetes, were selected from 37 variable candidates as the top-weighted prediction features. The decision curve analysis showed that the nomogram could be applied clinically when the risk threshold is between 20% and 100%. Conclusions: The occurrence of external ventricular-drainage-associated intracranial infections could be predicted using optimal models and feature-selection approaches, which would be helpful for the prevention and treatment of this complication in neurointensive care units.

Dynamic Intracranial Pressure Waveform Morphology Predicts Ventriculitis

BACKGROUND

Intracranial pressure waveform morphology reflects compliance, which can be decreased by ventriculitis. We investigated whether morphologic analysis of intracranial pressure dynamics predicts the onset of ventriculitis.

METHODS

Ventriculitis was defined as culture or Gram stain positive cerebrospinal fluid, warranting treatment. We developed a pipeline to automatically isolate segments of intracranial pressure waveforms from extraventricular catheters, extract dominant pulses, and obtain morphologically similar groupings. We used a previously validated clinician-supervised active learning paradigm to identify metaclusters of triphasic, single-peak, or artifactual peaks. Metacluster distributions were concatenated with temperature and routine blood laboratory values to create feature vectors. A L2-regularized logistic regression classifier was trained to distinguish patients with ventriculitis from matched controls, and the discriminative performance using area under receiver operating characteristic curve with bootstrapping cross-validation was reported.

RESULTS

Fifty-eight patients were included for analysis. Twenty-seven patients with ventriculitis from two centers were identified. Thirty-one patients with catheters but without ventriculitis were selected as matched controls based on age, sex, and primary diagnosis. There were 1590 h of segmented data, including 396,130 dominant pulses in patients with ventriculitis and 557,435 pulses in patients without ventriculitis. There were significant differences in metacluster distribution comparing before culture-positivity versus during culture-positivity (p < 0.001) and after culture-positivity (p < 0.001). The classifier demonstrated good discrimination with median area under receiver operating characteristic 0.70 (interquartile range 0.55-0.80). There were 1.5 true alerts (ventriculitis detected) for every false alert.

CONCLUSIONS

Intracranial pressure waveform morphology analysis can classify ventriculitis without cerebrospinal fluid sampling.

Hydrocephalus with lateral ventricular lesions: case series and review of literature

Background

Lateral ventricular lesions associated with hydrocephalus are considered a challenge to neurosurgeons. Hydrocephalus after surgery of such lesions and its pathogenesis and how to deal with it is a big question facing neurosurgeons.

Objectives

In this study, we tried to discuss the pathogenesis and different forms of presentation of hydrocephalus in lateral ventricular lesions and how to deal with it.

Methods

Eleven patients with lateral ventricular lesions associated with hydrocephalus either preoperative or postoperative presenting to our hospital were managed by excision of the lesion. A prospective study was done for these cases including their clinical data, radiological data, the presence, or absence of hydrocephalus either preoperative or postoperative and how we managed it.

Results

This study included 11 cases. The mean patient age at surgery was 25 years old. Nine cases were presented with radiological signs of hydrocephalus preoperatively. Two cases developed new onset hydrocephalus after lesion excision. Six cases ended with permanent CSF diversion.

Conclusion

Management of cases with lateral ventricular lesions does not stand on only excision of the lesion. Hydrocephalus should be kept into consideration perioperatively. We should try to avoid events that could lead to ventriculitis. Prolonged follow-up of the patients postoperative is very important as hydrocephalus may develop later after surgery.

A portable multi-sensor module for monitoring external ventricular drains

External ventricular drains (EVDs) are used clinically to relieve excess fluid pressure in the brain. However, EVD outflow rate is highly variable and typical clinical flow tracking methods are manual and low resolution. To address this problem, we present an integrated multi-sensor module (IMSM) containing flow, temperature, and electrode/substrate integrity sensors to monitor the flow dynamics of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage through an EVD. The impedimetric sensors were microfabricated out of biocompatible polymer thin films, enabling seamless integration with the fluid drainage path due to their low profile. A custom measurement circuit enabled automated and portable sensor operation and data collection in the clinic. System performance was verified using real human CSF in a benchtop EVD model. Impedimetric flow sensors tracked flow rate through ambient temperature variation and biomimetic pulsatile flow, reducing error compared with previous work by a factor of 6.6. Detection of sensor breakdown using novel substrate and electrode integrity sensors was verified through soak testing and immersion in bovine serum albumin (BSA). Finally, the IMSM and measurement circuit were tested for 53 days with an RMS error of 61.4 μL/min.

Use of flexible endoscopic aspiration for an intraventricular small floating clot with hemorrhage: a technical note

BACKGROUND

Although flexible endoscopy is effective for intraventricular lesions, it is less frequently used for hemorrhagic cases. In some hemorrhagic strokes, blood clots may plunge into the cerebral aqueduct and cause acute obstructive hydrocephalus. A flexible endoscope can aspirate clots and prevent acute hydrocephalus.

METHODS

Here, we report four cases of hemorrhage: one of intracerebral hemorrhage and three of subarachnoid hemorrhages.

RESULTS

In all cases, acute hydrocephalus was not apparent upon admission. Sudden comatose occurred; computed tomography revealed acute obstructive hydrocephalus with a strangulated clot in the cerebral aqueduct. We performed aspiration of the strangulated clot using a flexible endoscope. Consciousness improved in all cases, and acute hydrocephalus was prevented in all cases.

CONCLUSION

The use of simple flexible endoscopic aspiration for clots might be a beneficial and less-invasive procedure for acute obstructive hydrocephalus caused by a small clot with hemorrhagic stroke.

Optimal Timing of External Ventricular Drainage after Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review

External ventricular drainage (EVD) may be used for therapeutic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage to control intracranial pressure (ICP) after traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, there is currently uncertainty regarding the optimal timing for EVD insertion. This study aims to compare patient outcomes for patients with early and late EVD insertion. Following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, MEDLINE/EMBASE/Scopus/Web of Science/Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for published literature involving at least 10 severe TBI (sTBI) patients from their inception date to December 2019. Outcomes assessed were mortality, functional outcome, ICP control, length of stay, therapy intensity level, and complications. Twenty-one studies comprising 4542 sTBI patients with an EVD were included; 19 of the studies included patients with an early EVD, and two studies had late EVD placements. The limited number of studies, small sample sizes, imbalance in baseline characteristics between the groups and poor methodological quality have limited the scope of our analysis. We present the descriptive statistics highlighting the current conflicting data and the overall lack of reliable research into the optimal timing of EVD. There is a clear need for high quality comparisons of early vs. late EVD insertion on patient outcomes in sTBI.

Intraventricular fibrinolytic for the treatment of intraventricular hemorrhage: a network meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To explore which intraventricular fibrinolytic agent - urokinase (UK) or recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) - combined with extraventricular drainage (EVD) is most suitable for patients with spontaneous intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We searched PubMed, MEDLINE, OVID, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases for relevant articles and assessed their quality and extracted statistical analyses using Stata 13.0 and Revman 5.3 software.

RESULTS

Compared with EVD alone, EVD combined with an agent causing intraventricular fibrinolysis (IVF) improved the survival and prognosis of patients with IVH. Regarding the patients' survival rates and prognoses, the treatments, from best to worst results were EVD + UK, EVD + rt-PA, EVD alone. The proportion of patients with serious disability also increased with these treatments, however, with the highest to lowest proportions being EVD + rt-PA, EVD + UK, EVD alone. In addition, EVD + IVF was associated with a higher risk of intracranial rebleeding (from lowest to highest incidence: EVD alone, EVD + rt-PA, EVD + UK). Finally, EVD + UK is associated with an increased risk of potential intracranial infection (from lowest to highest incidence: EVD + rt-PA, EVD alone, EVD + UK).

CONCLUSIONS

EVD + UK may be the best approach to improving patients' survival rate and prognosis. However, it also presents the highest risk of intracranial infection and rebleeding. EVD + IVF increased the proportion of patients with serious disability.

A Retrospective Quality Analysis of External Ventricular Drain Infection Rates Following Stroke Diagnoses and Other Brain Injuries: Comparison of Emergency Room and ICU/OR Setting

Objective

The purpose of this study was to analyze the incidence of infections in patients following placement of External Ventricular Drain (EVD) in either the Emergency Room (ER) or the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)/ Operating Room (OR) at a single Comprehensive Stroke Center.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of post-procedure infection rates in 710 patients with EVDs placed on site between 2010 and 2018 was performed. We analyzed cases between sex, age, stroke and non-stroke related and further requirement of conversion of the EVD to a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt.

Results

Significant decrease in EVD related infection (ERIs) rates following the shift in EVD placement from ER to ICU/OR (from 13% to 7.7%, p=.03) among all ages, sex and type of brain injury was observed. Furthermore, our data also shows that the rate of conversion of EVDs to VP shunts is independent of the setting where EVD was placed, but increases in patients who develop ERIs. 23.1% of stroke patients that developed an ERI required a conversion to VP shunt while 67.3% of non-stroke patients that developed an ERI required further VP shunt (p<.001) showing that non-stroke EVD patients with infections are more likely to require VP shunt.

Conclusion

This is one of the larger retrospective studies conducted on EVD related infections. ERIs were significantly higher when EVDs were placed in the ER. Moreover, our results highlight the relation between ERIs and further requirement of conversion EVD to VP shunt. These figures highlight the importance of focusing on infection rates, and the implications CSF infection has on the long-term care of patients.

Fibrinolytics and Intraventricular Hemorrhage: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is an independent poor prognostic factor in subarachnoid and intra-parenchymal hemorrhage. The use of intraventricular fibrinolytics (IVF) has long been debated, and its exact effects on outcomes are unknown. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines to assess the impact of IVF after non-traumatic IVH on mortality, functional outcome, intracranial bleeding, ventriculitis, time until clearance of third and fourth ventricles, obstruction of external ventricular drains (EVD), and shunt dependency. Nineteen studies were included in the meta-analysis, totaling 1020 patients. IVF was associated with lower mortality (relative risk [RR] 0.58; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.47-0.72), fewer EVD obstructions (RR 0.41; 95% CI 0.22-0.74), and a shorter time until clearance of the ventricles (median difference [MD] - 4.05 days; 95% CI - 5.52 to - 2.57). There was no difference in good functional outcome, RR 1.41 (95% CI 0.98-2.03), or shunt dependency, RR 0.93 (95% CI 0.70-1.22). Correction for publication bias predicted an increased risk of intracranial bleeding, RR 1.67 (95% CI 1.01-2.74) and a lower risk of ventriculitis, RR 0.68 (95% CI 0.45-1.03) in IVH patients treated with IVF. IVF was associated with improved survival, faster clearance of blood from the ventricles and fewer drain obstructions, but further research is warranted to elucidate the effects on ventriculitis, long-term functional outcomes, and re-hemorrhage.

Evaluation of a New Catheter for Simultaneous Intracranial Pressure Monitoring and Cerebral Spinal Fluid Drainage: A Pilot Study

OBJECTIVES

Intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring is a common practice when treating intracranial pathology with risk of elevated ICP. External ventricular drain (EVD) insertion is a standard approach for both monitoring ICP and draining cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). However, the conventional EVD cannot serve these two purposes simultaneously because it cannot accurately measure ICP and its pulsatile waveform while the EVD is open to CSF drainage. A new Integra^® Camino^® FLEX Ventricular Catheter (Integra Lifesciences, County Offaly, Ireland) with a double-lumen construction has been recently introduced into the market, and it can monitor ICP waveforms even during CSF drainage. The aim of this study was to evaluate and validate this new FLEX catheter for ICP monitoring in a neurological intensive care unit.

METHODS

Six patients with 34 EVD open/close episodes were retrospectively analyzed. Continuous ICP was detected in two ways: through the FLEX sensor at the tip (ICP_f) and through a fluid-coupled manometer within the FLEX catheter, functioning as a conventional EVD (ICP_e). The morphologies of ICP_f and ICP_e pulses were extracted using Morphological Clustering and Analysis of ICP algorithm, an algorithm that has been validated in previous publications. The mean ICP and waveform shapes of ICP pulses detected through the two systems were compared. Bland-Altman plots were used to assess the agreement of the two systems.

RESULTS

A significant linear relationship existed between mean ICP_f and mean ICP_e, which can be described as: mICP_f = 0.81 × mICP_e + 1.67 (r = 0.79). The Bland-Altman plot revealed that no significant difference existed between the two ICPs (average of [ICP_e-ICP_f] was - 1.69 mmHg, 95% limits of agreement: - 7.94 to 4.56 mmHg). The amplitudes of the landmarks of ICP pulse waveforms from the two systems showed strong, linear relationship (r ranging from 0.89 to 0.94).

CONCLUSIONS

This study compared a new FLEX ventricular catheter with conventional fluid-coupled manometer for ICP waveform monitoring. Strong concordance in ICP value and waveform morphology between the two systems indicates that this catheter can be used for reliability for both clinical and research applications.

Cerebral Vascular Changes During Acute Intracranial Pressure Drop

OBJECTIVE

This study applied a new external ventricular catheter, which allows intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) drainage simultaneously, to study cerebral vascular responses during acute CSF drainage.

METHODS

Six patients with 34 external ventricular drain (EVD) opening sessions were retrospectively analyzed. A published algorithm was used to extract morphological features of ICP recordings, and a template-matching algorithm was applied to calculate the likelihood of cerebral vasodilation index (VDI) and cerebral vasoconstriction index (VCI) based on the changes of ICP waveforms during CSF drainage. Power change (∆P) of ICP B-waves after EVD opening was also calculated. Cerebral autoregulation (CA) was assessed through phase difference between arterial blood pressure (ABP) and ICP using a previously published wavelet-based algorithm.

RESULTS

The result showed that acute CSF drainage reduced mean ICP (P = 0.016) increased VCI (P = 0.02) and reduced ICP B-wave power (P = 0.016) significantly. VCI reacted to ICP changes negatively when ICP was between 10 and 25 mmHg, and VCI remained unchanged when ICP was outside the 10-25 mmHg range. VCI negatively (r = - 0.44) and VDI positively (r = 0.82) correlated with ∆P of ICP B-waves, indicating that stronger vasoconstriction resulted in bigger power drop in ICP B-waves. Better CA prior to EVD opening triggered bigger drop in the power of ICP B-waves (r = - 0.612).

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that acute CSF drainage reduces mean ICP, and results in vasoconstriction which can be detected through an index, VCI. Cerebral vessels actively respond to ICP changes or cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) changes in a certain range; beyond which, the vessels are insensitive to the changes in ICP and CPP.

A Retrospective Study on the First Cerebrospinal Fluid Taken from External Ventricular Drainage Insertion in Meningitis Patients with Hydrocephalus

Background

Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunting is a permanent form of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion that can be performed for hydrocephalus. Sterility of the CSF is an important prerequisite for permanent shunt placement. It has been hypothesised that in early stage of meningitis, ventricular CSF remains sterile. A study is conducted on the first CSF sample taken from patients suspected to have meningitic hydrocephalus.

Method

A retrospective review case records of patients who had undergone external ventricular drainage (EVD) for suspected meningitic hydropcephalus in Hospital Sultanah Aminah Johor Bahru (HSAJB), Johor, Malaysia.

Results

Fifty-one cases were analysed. Mean age of patients was 37.27 years old, with 64.7% of them was male. Univariate analysis revealed that the main parameters to determine CSF sterility were CSF glucose (95% CI, 0.852, 10.290, P = 0.001), CSF protein (CI 95%, 0.722, 14.898, P < 0.001), CSF gram stain (95% CI, 16.437, 0.877, P < 0.001 ) and CSF appearance ( 0.611, 6.362, P = 0.012). Multivariate analysis had proven that gram stain was the main parameter in the CSF analysis (CI 95%, 16.437, 0.029, P = 0.016). No significant differences in CSF results were observed from EVD and lumbar puncture.

Conclusion

The most significant parameter in CSF to determine infection was gram stain.

Inflammatory Markers in Serum and Cerebrospinal Fluid for Early Detection of External Ventricular Drain-associated Ventriculitis in Patients With Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

BACKGROUND

External ventricular drain (EVD)-associated ventriculitis is a serious complication. Early diagnosis can be difficult particularly in critically ill patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). We examined the diagnostic potential of standard serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers to differentiate between EVD-associated infections and aseptic courses in patients with aSAH.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated the levels of inflammatory markers in serum (white blood cell count, percentage of neutrophils [sN%], and procalcitonin) and CSF (total leukocyte count [CSFTLC], CSFglucose, CSF/serumglucose ratio, CSF total protein [CSFTP]) of 63 consecutive patients with aSAH. Receiver operating characteristic curves and the area-under-the-curve (AUC) were calculated to detect the diagnostic potential, optimized threshold, sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP), + likelihood ratio (LR), and -LR of each biomarker.

RESULTS

Of all patients, 17 (27%) developed an EVD-associated ventriculitis within a mean of 7.8±2.3 days after implantation. sN% had a very good diagnostic potential (AUC=0.900, SE=70.0%, SP=100%), followed by the CSFTLC with good diagnostic potential (AUC=0.841, SE=75.0%, SP=88.5%), and the CSFTP with moderate diagnostic potential (AUC=0.772, SE=73.3%, SP=76.0%). sN% higher than 70% and a CSFTLC higher than 635/µL were highly associated with the diagnosis of ventriculitis (+LR=∞ and 6.5), sN%<70% or a CSFTLC<635 made a diagnosis of ventriculitis unlikely (-LR=0.3 and 0.28).

CONCLUSIONS

Routine determination of N% and CSFTLC are useful to distinguish ventriculitis from aseptic courses in the acute phase after aSAH and regardless of the bacteriological test result.

Risk Factors of External Ventricular Drain Infection: Proposing a Model for Future Studies

Background: External ventricular drain (EVD) has a major role in the management and monitoring of intracranial pressure (ICP) and its major complication is EVD infection. The risk factors for EVD infection are still a major topic of controversy, hence the need for further research.

Objective: The objective of this review was to identify risk factors that affect the incidence of EVD infection and create a model, which can be used in future studies in order to contribute to elaborations on guideline for EVD.

Methods: A PubMed and Google Scholar literature search was performed and data were extracted from studies published from 1966 through 2017. The search of the databases generated 604 articles and 28 articles of these were found to be relevant. A manual search of the 28 relevant papers generated 4 new articles. Of the 32 relevant articles, 20 articles that performed a multivariate analysis of the suspected risk factors of EVD infection and had a positive culture as a mandatory component in diagnosis were selected for data collection and analysis.

Results: Because reviewed papers investigated only a few influencing factors, and could not determine convincingly the real risk factors of EVD infection and their real strengths. A total of 15 supposed influencing factors which includes: age, age & sex interactions, coinfection, catheter insertion outside the hospital, catheter type, CSF leakage, CSF sampling frequency, diagnosis, duration of catheterization, ICP > 20 mmHg, irrigation, multiple catheter, neurosurgical operation, reduced CSF glucose at catheter insertion and sex were identified.

Conclusion: This review summarizes a set of variables which have to be covered by future clinical epidemiological investigations in order to describe the etiological background of EVD infection.

Modalities and accuracy of diagnosis of external ventricular drainage-related infections: a prospective multicentre observational cohort study

BACKGROUND

Device infection is a major complication of placement external ventricular drains (EVD). Diagnostic features are often masked by underlying disease or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) contamination by blood. We aim to assess which diagnostic modalities are applied for EVD-related infection (ERI) diagnosis and evaluate their accuracy.

METHODS

This observational prospective study included 187 adult patients with an EVD. Modalities of clinical diagnosis of ERI diagnosed by treating physicians on clinical grounds and blood and CSF analysis (clinically diagnosed ERI (CD-ERI)) were assessed prospectively. Additionally, the diagnostic accuracy of clinical and laboratory parameters for the diagnosis of culture proven ERI (CP-ERI) was evaluated, using data of the study patients and including a retrospective cohort of 39 patients with CP-ERI.

RESULTS

Thirty-one CD-ERIs were diagnosed in the prospective cohort. Most physicians used CSF analysis to establish the diagnosis. ROC analysis revealed an AUC of 0.575 (p = 0.0047) for the number of positive SIRS criteria and AUC of 0.5420 (p = 0.11) for the number of pathological neurological signs for diagnosis of CP-ERI. Diagnostic accuracy of laboratory values was AUC 0.596 (p = 0.0006) for serum white blood cell count (WBCC), AUC 0.550 (p = 0.2489) for serum C-reactive protein, AUC 0.644 (p < 0.0001) for CSF WBCC and AUC 0.690 for CSF WBC/red blood cell count ratio (both p < 0.0001). Neither a temporal trend in potential predictors of CP-ERI nor a correlation between clinical diagnosis and proven CSF infection was found.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinicians base their diagnosis of ERI mostly on CSF analysis and occurrence of fever, leading to over-diagnosis. The accuracy of the clinical diagnosis is low. Commonly used clinical and laboratory diagnostic criteria have a low sensitivity and specificity for ERI.

Relationship between external ventricular drain clamp trials and ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion following nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage: a single-center study

OBJECTIVE

Currently, there is no established standard regarding the ideal number of external ventricular drain (EVD) clamp trials performed before ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt insertion following nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). In this study, the authors aimed to evaluate this relationship.

METHODS

A retrospective review of all patients presenting with SAH between July 2007 and December 2016 was performed. Patients with SAH who had received an EVD within the first 24 hours of hospital admission and had undergone at least 1 clamp trial prior to EVD removal were eligible for inclusion in the study. Patient demographics, clinical presentations, SAH etiologies and grades, clamp trial data, hospital lengths of stay, and functional outcomes were recorded.

RESULTS

One hundred fourteen patients with nontraumatic SAH complicated by posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus were included in the study. The median patient age was 57 years (range 28-90 years), with a male/female ratio of 1:1.7. A ruptured aneurysm was the underlying etiology of SAH in 79.8% of patients. A majority of patients (69.4%) had a Hunt and Hess grade III-V on admission. The median number of clamp trials performed was 2 (range 1-6). A VP shunt was required in 40.4% of patients. In those who underwent 2 and 3 clamp trials, 60% and 38.9%, respectively, did not require subsequent VP shunt placement.

CONCLUSIONS

Surgical placement of a VP shunt is associated with complications. Clamp trials are routinely performed before making the decision to insert a shunt. In the present study, the authors found that a significant percentage of patients passed their second and third clamp trials without requiring subsequent shunt insertion. These data support performing multiple clamp trials prior to shunt placement.