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Infections of external ventricular drainages

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Central European Journal of Medicine

Abstract

Aim

The most common complication of the external ventricular drainage (EVD) is an infection, which is linked to different risk factors. We tried to investigate possible links between different risk factors and incidences of an infection of the EVD.

Materials and Methods

We used a retrospective method and examined records of 176 patients. These patients were admitted to the University clinical centre Maribor between January 2004–December 2005 and January 2009–December 2010 and had an EVD inserted.

Results

Our research had shown a high overall occurrence of infection, namely 23.3 %. We found a significantly higher incidence of infection in patients with a subarachnoid haemorrhage as an etiology. The likelihood of an infection increased with each catheter replacement and with EVDs inserted for more than 7 days. The incidence of infection in the group of patients with an impregnated catheter was significantly lower. The protective role of impregnated catheters is larger in terms of local effect and smaller in broader effect in CSF space.

Conclusions

An easy retrograde route for microorganisms to enter ventricular space should be prevented with appropriate wound care and by replacing EVDs only in cases of mechanical dysfunction or extraction.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, University Clinical Centre Maribor, Ljubljanska 5, 2000, Maribor, Slovenia

    Tadej Strojnik

  2. Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Slomškov trg 15, 2000, Maribor, Slovenia

    Tadej Strojnik, Jasmina Golc & Jasna Zakelšek

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  1. Tadej Strojnik
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  2. Jasmina Golc
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  3. Jasna Zakelšek
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Correspondence to Jasmina Golc.

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Strojnik, T., Golc, J. & Zakelšek, J. Infections of external ventricular drainages. cent.eur.j.med 8, 250–256 (2013). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11536-012-0115-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11536-012-0115-8

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