Türk Nöroşirürji Dergisi 2006 , Vol 16 , Num 2
FACTORS THAT INCREASE THE RISK OF INFECTION DURING EXTERNAL VENTRICULAR CATHETERIZATION
Burak GÜNDÜZ, Bülent EKİNCİ, Bahattin UÇAR, Halil TOPLAMAOĞLU
Bakırköy Prof. Dr. Mazhar Osman Uzman Ruh Sağlığı ve Sinir Hastalıkları Hastanesi III. Nöroşirürji Kliniği, İstanbul OBJECTIVE: It is widely accepted that there is a relation between extemal ventricular catheterization and central nervous system infections. Factors which increase the risk of infection during catheterization remain controversial. Our study reviews, the infection rate of 154 patients who have been performed external ventricular catheterization. Our aim is to investigate the risk factors that increase the central nervous infections during extemal ventricular catheterization.

METHODS: 154 Patients who underwent external ventricular catheterization in the Neurological and Neurosurgical Intensive Care Units from 1998 to 2004 at the Bakırköy Research Hospital of Psychiatric and Neurological Diseases were reviewed retrospectively. Infection was defined as result of microscapical and biochemical examination of cerebrospinal fluid. Patient age, sex, diagnose, catheter exchanges, location of patient during catheter insertion, and duration of catheterization were evaluated as risk factors of infection.

RESULTS: The average patient age years was 57.3 years, and 53.89% were female. The overall infection rate was 11.04%. We couldn't find any relation between age, sex, catheter exchanges, location of patient during catheter insertion and infection rate. However infection rates increased significantly beyond 10th day of catheterization. Anahtar Kelimeler : Extemal ventricular catheterization, Central nervous system iniections