Abstract

External ventricular drains (EVDs or ventriculostomies) are frequently required for acute management of intracranial hypertension and monitoring intracranial pressure. Patients with ventriculostomies are frequently co-managed by multiple specialists including neurologists, neuro-intensivists, trauma specialists, emergency department physicians and neurosurgeons. We provide background on the indications, placement technique, troubleshooting and complications related to this procedure. We also discuss emerging best practices for preventing complications such as ventriculostomy-related infection. We conclude with considerations regarding ventriculostomy removal and areas of ongoing study. This review serves as a primer that may facilitate collaborative care between diverse allied providers.

Keywords: External Ventricular Drain; EVD; Ventriculostomy; Kocher’s Point; Hydrocephalus; Cerebrospinal Fluid; Neurocritical Care; Intracranial Pressure; Ventriculitis; Intracranial Hemorrhage

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Citation

Citation: Mihir Gupta., et al. “External Ventricular Drains: An Overview of Indications, Technique, and Complications".Acta Scientific Neurology 3.7 (2020): 16-22.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2020 Mihir Gupta., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.