Slovenská chirurgia 1-2e/2024

Possibilities of prevention of external ventricular drainage infection

which leads to increased morbidity and mortality among patients. The aim of this study was to determine whether implementing new care measures for EVD could reduce infection rates compared to previous protocols. Methods: This study was a prospective cohort study involving 67 patients with EVD at a healthcare facility. The new care protocol included regular changing of sterile dressings every 72 hours, limiting cerebrospinal fluid sampling to clinical indications only, and a multidisciplinary approach to infection confirmation. The outcomes of the prospective cohort were compared with those of a retrospective cohort of patients who received care under the old protocols. Results: The infection rate in the prospective cohort was 7.46%, representing a significant reduction compared to 18.27% in the retrospective cohort. Regular changing of sterile dressings every 72 hours significantly contributed to reducing infection rates, while limiting cerebrospinal fluid sampling to clinical indications reduced the risk of pathogen introduction. The multidisciplinary approach to infection confirmation ensured optimal treatment and reduced infection incidence. Conclusion: Implementation of the new EVD care protocol resulted in a substantial reduction in infection rates. These findings provide valuable insights for clinical practice and further research in the prevention of nosocomial infections.

Keywords: external ventricular drain, EVD, infections, prevention, care protocol, nosocomial infections