title: Percutaneous gastrostomy in patients with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt: case series and review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are few data on the safety of PEG in patients with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records for patients seen in 3 tertiary care, university-affiliated hospitals between January 1, 1991, and January 1, 1999, were reviewed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six patients underwent PEG after ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement during the study period. There was no immediate complication. One patient died of pneumonia 2 months after PEG insertion. There was no instance of shunt malfunction, intra-abdominal complication, or wound infection in the study group. There was no long-term complication, with either the ventriculoperitoneal shunt or the PEG.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the number of cases was small, PEG placement with prophylactic administration of antibiotics appears to be safe in patients with a pre-existing ventriculoperitoneal shunt.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baird
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salasidis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016638:Critical Illness; D005260:Female; D005774:Gastrostomy / Q000379:methods; D015600:Glasgow Coma Scale; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012449:Safety; D017287:Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt