Intracranial pressure and clinical status: assessment of two intracranialpressure transducers

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the in vivo accuracy andreliability of intracranial pressure (ICP) measurement using the CodmanMicroSensor by comparison with the Camino ICP transducer and associatedclinical and radiological information.Paired ICP readings were recorded everyminute in 17 patients. A total of 56 790 validated paired measurements wereobtained over a wide range of ICP values (-16 mm Hg to 114 mm Hg). Recordingperiods ranged from 3 hours to 6 days (median 41 hours).In 11 patients the MicroSensor and Camino readings were in good agreement.Paired readings were within 10 mm Hg for 99% of the recording time and bothreadings were compatible with clinical intracranial events at all times (inone case it was not possible to verify the clinical information). In sixpatients large differences occurred between transducerreadings (>10 mm Hg apart for 41% of the recording period). In one case, eitherreading could have been compatible with intracranial clinical events. In twocases, although both readings were comparable, Camino readings were moreconsistent with clinical and radiological findings. In three cases, theMicroSensor readings were inconsistent with the clinical condition of thepatients whereas the Camino readings were compatible.These results suggest that, during routine clinical use in our department, theMicroSensor provided misleading information in 18% of our patients and thusis not sufficiently reliable for routine use in the detection of adverseclinical events.