External Ventricular Drain Placement Research Articles

Determinants of accuracy of freehand external ventricular drain placement by neurosurgical trainees.

The external ventricular drain (EVD) placement is one of the most common neurosurgical procedures. This operation is performed by freehand technique in the majority of cases; therefore, the operator's experience plays an important role in success and possible morbidity of this procedure. To evaluate the accuracy and safety of EVD placement by junior neurosurgery residents and factors predicting accuracy of EVD placement. This is a prospective cohort study conducted at our academic medical center, between September 2017 and August 2018. All patients 18years or older who required EVD placement were included. The accuracy and complications of EVD placement were assessed in the first and second year resident cohorts as well as by their level of experience, using descriptive statistics. Univariate and multivariate models were used to assess predictive factors for optimal EVD. A total of 100 EVDs were placed in 100 patients during the study period. According to Kakarla classification, the catheter was optimally placed in 80% of cases. The first year residents had a significantly higher rate of suboptimal burr hole placement compared to the second year residents (66.7% versus 27.1%, p = 0.004). The trainees with less than 10 EVD placement experience also had a significantly higher rate of suboptimal burr hole placement (55.2% vs. 23.9%, p = 0.003), significantly longer duration of operation (43.1min ± 14.9SD vs 34.2min ± 9.6 p = 0.005), and significantly lower rate of optimal EVD location (85.9% versus 65.5%, p = 0.023). Optimal location of the burr hole was the only significant predictor of optimal EVD placement in multivariate analysis (OR 11.9, 95% CI 3.2-44.6, p < 0.001). Neurosurgery residents experience and optimal burr hole placement are the main predicators of accurate EVD placement.

Nursing assistance in patient care with external ventricular drain: a scoping review.

to map the available evidence about nursing care aimed at adult patients using external ventricular drain. this is a review using the scoping review method. Initially, 965 studies were identified and, after the eligibility criteria, a sample of 54 publications was obtained. Each of them was assessed according to GRADE, resulting in three studies with high quality; 14 with moderate quality; 32 with low quality; and five with very low quality. It was highlighted 20 nursing care subdivided into nine categories, namely: drainage system; bed positioning and mobilization; catheter care; monitoring of intracranial pressure; and medication administration. the scoping review made it possible to identify the main nursing care directed to adult patients undergoing placement of external ventricular drain from the evidence available to date.

Monitoring of Cerebrovascular Reactivity in Intracerebral Hemorrhage and Its Relation with Survival.

Neuromonitoring analysis for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is still rare, especially regarding vascular reactivity patterns. Our goal was to analyze neuromonitoring data and 28-day mortality for ICH patients. Neuromonitoring records were retrospectively reviewed from a cohort of ICH patients admitted to a neurocritical care unit between 2013 and 2016. Variables considered were intracranial pressure (ICP), cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), optimal CPP, and pressure reactivity index (PRx), as well as ICP dose, PRx dose, and time percentage above critical value (T%abv). Information regarding demographics, surgical drainage, external ventricular drain placement, and 28-day mortality was recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using the t-test and Kaplan-Meier curves. Forty-six patients were analyzed, with a mean of 263±173h of signal records and a median length of stay in the intensive care unit of 22 (interquartile range of 13) days. The mean age was 62.6±11.8years old, and 24 (52%) of the patients were male. Patients who died within 28day (37.0%) had significantly higher mean ICP, PRx, ICP dose, PRx dose, and T%abv. Although their mean ICP was under 20mmHg, they presented PRx>0.25, indicating impaired cerebrovascular reactivity (0.30±0.26). Also, patients with PRx>0.25 had a lower survival rate, with a proportion of 14% at 28days, as opposed to 85% of those with PRx<0.25 (p<0.001). The data suggest that autoregulation indexes are associated with 28-day mortality for ICH patients.

Multimodal simulation of a novel device for a safe and effective external ventricular drain placement

Multimodal simulation of a novel device for a safe and effective external ventricular drain placement

The effect of augmented reality on the learning curve of external ventricular drain placement

The effect of augmented reality on the learning curve of external ventricular drain placement

Application of Image Guidance Technology to Bedside External Ventricular Drain Placement

Application of Image Guidance Technology to Bedside External Ventricular Drain Placement

Neuronavigation-assisted bedside placement of bolt external ventricular drains in the intensive care setting: a technical note.

The insertion of bolt external ventricular drains (EVD) on the intensive care unit (ICU) has enabled rapid cranial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion. However, bolt EVDs tend to be perceived as a more challenging technique, particularly when dealing with small ventricles or when there is midline shift distorting the ventricular morphology. Furthermore, if neuronavigation guidance is felt to be necessary, this usually assumes a transfer to an operating theatre. In this technical note, we describe the use of electromagnetic neuronavigation for bolt EVD insertion on the ICU and assess the protocol's feasibility and accuracy. Case series of neuronavigation-assisted bolt EVD insertion in ICU setting, using Medtronic Flat Emitter for StealthStation EM. Neuronavigation-guided bolt EVDs were placed at the bedside in n = 5 patients on ICU. Their widest frontal ventricular horn diameter in the coronal plane ranged from 11 to 20 mm. No procedural complications were encountered. Post-procedural CT confirmed the optimal placement of the EVDs. Electromagnetic neuronavigation is feasible at the ICU bedside and can assist the insertion of bolt EVDs in this setting. The preference for a bolt EVD to be inserted in ICU-as is standard practice at this unit-should not prohibit patients from benefitting from image guidance if required.

Quality Indicators for Children With Traumatic Brain Injury After Transition to an American College of Surgeons Level I Pediatric Trauma Center.

The aim of the study was to compare quality indicators, including frequency of acute surgical and emergent interventions, and resource utilization before and after American College of Surgeons (ACS) level I trauma verification among children with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). This is a retrospective review of patients younger than 18 years treated for moderate or severe TBI, as determined by International Classification of Disease codes. Our institution obtained ACS level I trauma verification in 2013. Outcomes during the pre-ACS (June 2003-May 2008), interim (June 2008-May 2013), and post-ACS (June 2013-May 2018) periods were compared via nonparametric tests. Tests for linear trend were conducted using Cochran-Armitage tests for categorical data and by linear regression for continuous variables. There were 677 children with moderate or severe TBIs (pre-ACS, 125; interim, 198; post-ACS, 354). Frequency of any surgical intervention increased significantly in the post-ACS period (12.2%) compared with interim (5.1%) and pre-ACS periods (5.6%, P = 0.007). More children in the post-ACS period required intracranial pressure monitoring (P = 0.017), external ventricular drain placement (P = 0.003), or endotracheal intubation (P = 0.001) compared with interim and pre-ACS periods. There was no significant change in time to operating room (P = 0.514), frequency of decompression (P = 0.096), or time to decompression (P = 0.788) between study periods. The median time to head CT decreased significantly in the post-ACS period (26 minutes; interquartile range [IQR], 9-60) compared with interim (36 minutes; IQR, 21-69) and pre-ACS periods (53 minutes; IQR, 36-89; P < 0.001). Frequency of repeat head computed tomography decreased significantly in the post-ACS period (30.2%) compared with interim (56.1%) and pre-ACS periods (64.0%, Ptrend = 0.044). Transition to an ACS level I trauma verification was associated with improvements in quality indicators for children with moderate or severe TBI.

High accuracy of external ventricular drainage placement using anatomical landmarks

BackgroundThe conventional approach for external ventricular drainage (EVD) application is the freehand method. Technical devices can improve the accuracy of placement, but they have not yet replaced anatomical landmarks owing to the cost and effort that they entail. There is disagreement as to whether freehand EVD application is safe enough to be accepted as a standard technique. Many authors have investigated the final catheter position in retrospect. They describe variable rates of malpositioning. However, few studies have assessed in how far cranial surface anatomy has really been respected during burr-hole drilling and catheter insertion. The aim of this study was to investigate parameters that might play a part in determining the final intracranial catheter position. MethodsIn all, 100 pre- and postprocedural thin-layer computed-tomography (CT) scans of EVD patients were analysed with the help of JiveX® and OsiriX Lite® software. A series of anatomical and catheter-related parameters, including inter alia intraventricular blood, midline shift, burr-hole location and catheter entrance angle, were correlated with the final catheter position. ResultsA majority of EVDs show an optimal or nearly optimal position. Only the deviation of catheter entrance angle has a significant influence on catheter malpositioning. The burr-hole location can vary within an area of several centimetres around the coronary suture. ConclusionsThe freehand application of EVD is safe as long as the intracranial anatomy is not disfigured to a large extent, the surface measurements are carried out precisely and the puncturing is done perpendicularly to the skull.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage rebleeding in the first 24 h is associated with external ventricular drain placement and higher grade on presentation: Cohort study

BackgroundRebleeding after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) confers a poor prognosis; however, risk factors and differential outcomes associated with early rebleeding in the first 24 h after symptom presentation are incompletely understood. MethodsA retrospective cohort study of all aSAH presenting to our institution between 2001 and 2016 was performed. Early rebleeding events were defined as clinical neurologic decline with radiographically confirmed acute intracranial hemorrhage within 24 h after symptom presentation. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess clinical associations, with a specific focus on baseline Glasgow Coma Score (GCS), World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS), and modified Fisher scores. ResultsOf 471 aSAH cases, 33 (7%) experienced early rebleeding. Multivariate regression identified extraventricular drain (EVD) placement (OR = 2.16, P = 0.04) and WFNS 3–5 (OR = 2.69, P = 0.02) as significant predictors of early rebleeding. Good functional outcomes were observed in 8 patients with early rebleeding (24%), all of whom underwent aneurysm treatment. Higher SAH grade prior to rebleeding (WFNS 3–5) was significantly associated with increased odds of an unfavorable functional outcome (OR = 8.09, P < 0.01). Anticoagulation, aneurysm size and location were not significantly associated with either early rebleeding incidence or functional outcome. ConclusionsEarly rebleeding in aSAH is associated with unfavorable functional outcomes. EVD placement and higher SAH grade on presentation appear to be significantly and independently associated with increased risk of rebleeding within first 24 h, as well as unfavorable long-term functional outcome; however, the clinical benefit of hyper-acute aneurysm treatment requires further investigation.

Accuracy of freehand external ventricular drain placement in patients after a large decompressive hemicraniectomy

Our study aim is to evaluate the accuracy of freehand external ventricular drain (EVD) placement, without the use of adjuncts to placement, immediately following a large decompressive hemicraniectomy (DC). We performed a retrospective cohort analysis comparing patients who underwent freehand EVD placement immediately after a DC, to those who underwent freehand EVD placement without DC. Computed tomography (CT) studies were used to assess accuracy based on catheter tip location. Intracranial catheter length, pre- and post-operative Evan’s Index, and midline shift pre- and post-operatively were analysed as separate variables in each group. A previously described grading system was used to assess the accuracy of free hand EVD placement. There were a total 110 patients overall; DC group, n = 50; non-DC group, n = 60. There was a significant reduction from pre-operative midline shift to post-operative midline shift in the DC group (9.13 vs 6.02 mm; p = 0.0064). There was no significant difference in accuracy between the two groups (p = 0.8917), and similar rates of Grade 1 – i.e. optimal – catheter tip location (DC = 78% vs non-DC = 81%) were found. All analysed variables comparing both Grade 1 subgroups (pre- and postoperative Evan’s Index, and midline shift) showed significant differences between them. Mean catheter length in Grade 1 EVD placement showed a statistically significant difference between the DC and non-DC groups (63.78 vs 59.96 mm, respectively; p = 0.009). An EVD, after DC for traumatic and non-traumatic intracranial pathologies, can be accurately placed by freehand.

In Reply to the Letter to the Editor Regarding “Does the Setting of External Ventricular Drain Placement Affect Morbidity? A Systematic Literature Review Comparing Intensive Care Unit versus Operating Room Procedures”

In Reply to the Letter to the Editor Regarding “Does the Setting of External Ventricular Drain Placement Affect Morbidity? A Systematic Literature Review Comparing Intensive Care Unit versus Operating Room Procedures”

Letter to the Editor Regarding “Does the Setting of External Ventricular Drain Placement Affect Morbidity? A Systematic Literature Review Comparing Intensive Care Unit versus Operating Room Procedures”

Letter to the Editor Regarding “Does the Setting of External Ventricular Drain Placement Affect Morbidity? A Systematic Literature Review Comparing Intensive Care Unit versus Operating Room Procedures”

Postoperative fever workup in pediatric neurosurgery patients.

Fevers are common in the postoperative period, and adult data indicate that workup for an isolated fever is not warranted in the first 4 postoperative days (PODs). Pediatric literature on the subject similarly questions the value of further investigation during the first 2 PODs. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of acute fever in the postoperative pediatric neurosurgical population, as well as to assess the utility of performing further workup on these patients. A single-institution retrospective study was performed to assess pediatric neurosurgery patients following surgical intervention for the diagnoses of craniosynostosis, Chiari malformation, and brain tumors from 2009 to 2018. Fevers were identified during the first 4 PODs and were defined as a temperature ≥ 38.0°C. The patient charts were queried for urinalysis and urine culture (UA/Ucx), chest radiographs, blood cultures, CSF culture, respiratory viral panel, white blood cell (WBC) count, transfusion history, development of wound infection, and placement of external ventricular drains (EVDs) or lumbar drains. Thirty-day postoperative microbiology results and readmissions were reviewed. Descriptive statistics were performed using logistic regression analysis. Two hundred thirty-five patients were evaluated, and 61% had developed fevers within the first 4 PODs. Thirty-eight (26.6%) of the 143 febrile patients underwent further workup, and those with high fevers (> 39.0°C) were more likely to undergo further evaluation, which most commonly included UA/Ucx (21.7%). Approximately 1% (2/235) of the patients were found to have an infection during the first 4 days, and 8 additional patients developed a complication following the initial 4 days and within the first 30 PODs. The development of infectious complications within the first 4 PODs did not correlate with acute postoperative fevers (p = 0.997), nor did the development of complications within the 30 days following surgery (p = 0.776); however, multiple days of acute postoperative fevers (p = 0.034) and the presence of an EVD (p = 0.001) were associated with the development of infectious complications within 30 days. Acute postoperative fevers were associated with EVD placement (p = 0.038), as well as blood product transfusions and an increased WBC count (p < 0.001). Isolated fevers manifesting within the first 4 PODs are rarely associated with an infectious etiology. Additional factors should be taken into consideration when deciding to pursue further investigation.

Association of Dexamethasone with Shunt Requirement, Early Disability, and Medical Complications in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Current guidelines do not support the routine use of corticosteroids in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). However, corticosteroids use in aSAH has been practiced at some centers by convention. The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of hydrocephalus requiring ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) placement as well as functional outcome on discharge and adverse events attributed to corticosteroids in patients with aSAH treated with different dexamethasone (DXM) treatment schemes. We retrospectively analyzed 206 patients with aSAH stratified to three groups based on the DXM treatment scheme: no corticosteroids, short course of DXM (S-DXM; 4mg every 6h for 1day followed by a daily total dose reduction by 25% and then by 50% on last day), and long course of DXM (L-DXM; 4mg every 6h for 5-7days followed by reduction by 50% every other day). The primary outcome measure was the placement of a VPS, and the secondary outcome was a good functional outcome [modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 0-3] at hospital discharge. Safety measures were the incidence of infection (pneumonia, urinary tract infection, ventriculitis, meningitis), presence of delirium, and hyperglycemia. There was no difference in the rate of external ventricular drain (EVD) (p = 0.164) and VPS placement (p = 0.792), nor in the rate of good outcome (p = 0.928) among three defined treatment regimens. Moreover, the median duration of treatment with EVD did not differ between subjects treated with no corticosteroids, S-DXM, and L-DXM (p = 0.905), and the probability of EVD removal was similar when stratified according to treatment regimens (log-rank; p = 0.256). Patients who received L-DXM had significantly more complications as compared to patients, who received no corticosteroids or S-DXM (78.4% vs. 58.6%; p = 0.005). After adjustment, L-DXM remained independently associated with increased risk of combined adverse events (OR = 2.72; 95%CI, 1.30-5.72; p = 0.008), infection (OR = 3.45; 95%CI, 1.63-7.30; p = 0.001) and hyperglycemia (OR = 2.05; 95%CI, 1.04-4.04; p = 0.039). DXM use among patients with aSAH did not relate to the rate of EVD and VPS placement, duration of EVD treatment, and functional disability at discharge but increased the risk of medical complications.

Low-Value Clinical Practices in Adult Traumatic Brain Injury: An Umbrella Review.

Despite numerous interventions and treatment options, the outcomes of traumatic brain injury (TBI) have improved little over the last 3 decades, which raises concern about the value of care in this patient population. We aimed to synthesize the evidence on 14 potentially low-value clinical practices in TBI care. Using umbrella review methodology, we identified systematic reviews evaluating the effectiveness of 14 potentially low-value practices in adults with acute TBI. We present data on methodological quality (Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews), reported effect sizes, and credibility of evidence (I to IV). The only clinical practice with evidence of benefit was therapeutic hypothermia (credibility of evidence II to IV). However, the most recent meta-analysis on hypothermia based on high-quality trials suggested harm (credibility of evidence IV). Meta-analyses on platelet transfusion for patients on antiplatelet therapy were all consistent with harm but were statistically non-significant. For the following practices, effect estimates were consistently close to the null: computed tomography (CT) in adults with mild TBI who are low-risk on a validated clinical decision rule; repeat CT in adults with mild TBI on anticoagulant therapy with no clinical deterioration; antibiotic prophylaxis for external ventricular drain placement; and decompressive craniectomy for refractory intracranial hypertension. We identified five clinical practices with evidence of lack of benefit or harm. However, evidence could not be considered to be strong for any clinical practice as effect measures were imprecise and heterogeneous, systematic reviews were often of low quality, and most included studies had a high risk of bias.

Letter: The Risk of COVID-19 Infection During Neurosurgical Procedures: A Review of Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Modes of Transmission and Proposed Neurosurgery-Specific Measures for Mitigation.

Letter: The Risk of COVID-19 Infection During Neurosurgical Procedures: A Review of Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Modes of Transmission and Proposed Neurosurgery-Specific Measures for Mitigation.

Risk Factors Associated with External Ventricular Drain Associated Infections

<h3>Background</h3> The reduction of intracranial pressure using external ventricular drains (EVDs) is a life saving measure, but infection is a major complication of this procedure. Therefore, reducing procedural meningitis/ventriculitis is an important goal for healthcare infection prevention teams. This study determines the effectiveness of a newly implemented infection prevention bundle (IPB) and identifies possible risk factors increasing incidence of EVD-AIs. <h3>Methods</h3> This is a pre- and post-study performed at a single 440-bed academic medical center reviewing all EVD-AIs between January 2014 and October 2018 comparing the rates of EVD-AI before and after application of the IPB. Measured variables included procedure time, EVD placement location & duration, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimen source, surgeon, and the presence of EVD-AI. Confirmed infection was defined as positive CSF culture, and possible infection was defined as high white blood cell count (>100 cells/ml) and/or low glucose levels (<40 mg/dL). Odds ratios (OR) of measured variables as related to EVD-AI presence were determined with a significance threshold of p-value <0.05. <h3>Results</h3> Out of 313 procedures, there were 105 unique patients eligible for analysis. Seventy patients had CSF analysis performed; 37 had possible EVD-AIs (31 pre-IPB and 6 post-IPB) and 7 were confirmed EVD-AIs (5 pre-IPB and 2 post-IPB) with no statistically significant difference pre- and post-IPB. The EVD duration (OR 1.20), EVD placement procedure (OR 2.38), and CSF specimen source (OR 7.00) were associated with increased risk of infection. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Multiple risk factors are associated with EVD-AIs, including longer EVD duration, EVDs placed at bedsides, and CSF drawn from EVD collection bags. The decrease in EVD-AIs is not conclusively linked to the implementation of the IPB due to the small number of procedures and short duration of follow up. The application of effective evidence-based infection prevention measures for EVD-related procedural meningitis/ventriculitis is an essential intervention to reduce morbidity and mortality.

Increased risk of Ventriculostomy-Associated hemorrhage in patients treated with antiplatelet agents for stent-assisted coiling of ruptured intracranial aneurysms

Purpose The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of antiplatelet agents for stent-assisted coiling, including intravenous (IV) tirofiban as an antiplatelet premedication, on rates of external ventricular drain (EVD)-related hemorrhage in acutely ruptured intracranial aneurysms. The impact of IV tirofiban in particular was also evaluated. Methods Rates of radiographically identified hemorrhage associated with EVD placement were compared between patients who received an antiplatelet agent for stent-assisted coil embolization (SACE), and patients who did not receive an antiplatelet agent between June 2013 and June 2019. Results 78 patients treated for a ruptured aneurysm which required an EVD were included. A total of 46 patients who underwent stent-assisted coiling and received IV tirofiban and oral asipirin and clopidogrel (DAPT) were included in the antiplatelet group, while 32 who underwent single coiling and received no antiplatelet therapy were included in the control group. Overall, EVD-related hemorrhage occurred in 13 patients (16.67%): 11 (23.91%) in the antiplatelet group and 2 (6.25%) in the control group (p = 0.040). Of 37 patients who underwent computed tomography after SACE, but before the use of DAPT, 8 (21.62%) exhibited EVD-related hemorrhage after IV tirofiban therapy (p = 0.070 vs. control group). EVD-related hemorrhage was not significantly different between patients with EVD placement after coil embolization versus before coil embolization (p = 0.124). In the subgroup analysis for the antiplatelet group, we did not observed increased EVD-related hemorrhage in patients receiving EVD placement after administration of antiplatelet agents (8/27 [29.63%]) versus before administration of antiplatelet agents (3/19 [15.79%]). Conclusion Patients with ruptured aneurysm who receive an antiplatelet agent for stent-assisted coiling are at a higher risk for EVD-related hemorrhage. The order of EVD placement and EVT, as well as the order of EVD placement and antiplatelet initiation do not appear to be significantly different regarding the outcome of EVD-related hemorrhage. Highlights Patients with ruptured aneurysm who receive an antiplatelet agent for stent-assisted coiling are at a higher risk for EVD-related hemorrhage. There was a trend towards higher EVD related haemorrhage when tirofiban was used but it did not reach statisitical significance. The order of EVD—whether before vs after endovascular treatment, or before vs after antiplatelet therapy did not influence the EVD-related hemorrhage rates.

The July Effect and its Impact on External Ventricular Drain Placement by Neurosurgical Trainees–Analysis of the National Inpatient Sample

External ventricular drain (EVD) placement is a life-saving procedure performed frequently by neurosurgical residents. The July effect is a theoretic decline in quality of health care sometimes perceived in teaching hospitals at the start of an academic year. We sought to quantify the learning curve of ventriculostomy drain placement in teaching hospitals and determine its impact on patient outcomes, health care utilization, and cost. The National Inpatient Sample was queried for patients admitted nonelectively between 2012 and 2015 requiring EVD placement at a teaching hospital determined by using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes. Rates of multiple EVD placements per admission, infection and hemorrhage, mortality, length and cost of hospital stay, and discharge disposition were compared between admissions in the first quarter (Q1) of an academic year (July-September) versus those in Q4 (April-June). A total of 7783 admissions met inclusion criteria (3901 in Q1 and 3882 in Q4). The odds ratios (OR) for all combined complications, mortality, and long-term care disposition were similar between Q1 and Q4 groups. There was a significant reduction in the OR of wound and infectious complications in Q1 versus Q4 (1.60% vs. 2.31%; OR, 0.66; P= 0.01). The impact of Q1 EVD placement on total hospital charge and number of EVD codes was not statistically significant. However, there was a statistically significant reduction in length of stay in Q1 compared with Q4 (β=-0.04 days; P < 0.0001). There was no evidence of a July effect on EVD complication rates in outcomes for patients admitted in the beginning of an academic year versus the end.