External ventricular drains (EVDs) are among the most frequently used devices in neurosurgery and neurocritical care. Despite their widespread use, EVDs are often referred to without explicit clarification of their intended purpose such as, intracranial pressure monitoring, therapeutic cerebrospinal fluid diversion, or a combination of both. Such ambiguity can lead to confusion during clinical handovers, loss of therapeutic intent, and compromised patient safety. We propose that the sole reference “EVD” should be abandoned in favor of goal-directed terminology that clearly defines the functional purpose of the device at the time of placement. Explicit communication of goals, duration, and monitoring strategy may reduce errors and improve outcomes in neurocritical care.
Janjua et al. (Fri,) studied this question.