Analysis of the Rate and Pattern of Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Infection and Ventricular Catheter Culture Yield: A 10-Year Single-Institute Experience

Abstract

Aim: We aimed to study the rate and pattern of ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) infections at the Jordan University Hospital (JUH) over 10 years and investigate the yield of ventricular catheter tip culture in the evaluation of shunt infection. Patients and Methods: All patients operated on at our institution for ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) insertion, reinsertion, and revision between 2009 and 2018 were included. Data (age, gender, pathology, and history of shunt infection) were collected from patients’ files. Rates of infection and results of culture (cerebrospinal fluid and ventricular catheter tip) were obtained from laboratory records. Results: According to our hospital database, 310 patients were eligible for this study. The rate of infection was 11.1% per ventriculoperitoneal procedure, and the most common ­organism was coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) which was the cause of infection in 51.4% of the cases. Twenty-one percent of proved shunt infection cases showed a positive ventricular catheter tip culture. Conclusion: The rate and pattern of shunt infections at our institution are comparable with the international figures and data. Methods of catheter tip culturing should be improved to increase the yield of this practice.