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INTRODUCTION: Cerebral ventriculitis remains one of the most challenging neurosurgical conditions, with poor outcome and a long course of treatment and duration of hospital stay. Despite the current conventional management plans, i.e., using antibiotics in addition to CSF drainage, the outcome remains unsatisfactory in some cases, with no definitive therapeutic guidelines. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, international, retrospective study of ventriculitis patients treated with a novel automated active irrigation, and drainage system. Data collected included patients’ demographics, comorbidities, admission Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, and pre-hospital modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Catheter occlusions, infections, and shunt placement was recorded for outcome assessment, along with discharge mRS, and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Four centers (3 from U.S and 1 from Finland) contributed data for a total of 21 ventriculitis patients who had IRRAflow placement. Thirteen (61.9%) were males (mean age = 49.8 ± 14.87 years). The baseline median mRS was 1 and the median GCS at time of ventriculitis diagnosis was 13. Etiology of ventriculitis was iatrogenic in 12 (57.4%), and secondary to abscess in 9 (42.6%). No cases reported hemorrhage, or failure of IRRAflow placement. Antibiotics were administered in through the IRRAflow in 13 (61.9%) cases in addition to systemic dosing. Sixteen (76.19%) patients had significant clinical improvement and resolution of ventriculitis. Seven (33.33%) patients required shunt placement after resolution. There were 6 (28.6%) in-hospital mortalities reported. CONCLUSIONS: Use of active and continuous irrigation with drainage for continuous delivery of intraventricular irrigation fluid with antibiotics led to dramatically lower mortality when compared to literature (mortality approx. 70%). In our case series, it led to marked improvement in neurologic status, imaging findings, and CSF profiles making it technically feasible and safe treatment for ventriculitis.
Baig et al. (Fri,) studied this question.