Hemorrhage rates after external ventricular drain placement.
OBJECTIVE
External ventricular drain (EVD) placement is one of the most common neurosurgical procedures performed. Rates and significance of hemorrhage associated with this procedure have not been well quantified.


METHODS
All adults who underwent EVD placement at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center between July 2002 and June 2003 were evaluated for catheter-associated hemorrhage. Patients without postprocedural imaging were excluded.


RESULTS
Seventy-seven (41%) of 188 EVDs were associated with imaging evidence of hemorrhage after either placement or removal. Most of these were insignificant, punctate intraparenchymal, or trace subarachnoid hemorrhages (51.9%). Thirty-seven (19.7%) were associated with larger hemorrhages, which were divided into 3 groups according to volume of hemorrhage: 16 patients (8.5%) had < 15 ml of hemorrhage, 20 (10.6%) had hemorrhages of > 15 ml or associated intraventricular hemorrhage, and in 1 case there was a subdural hematoma that required surgical evacuation. No hemorrhages larger than punctate or trace were seen after EVD removal. Hemorrhage was associated with 44.3% of EVDs placed in an intensive care unit compared with 34.8% in EVDs placed in the operating room (p > 0.10).


CONCLUSIONS
External ventricular drain placement has a significant risk of associated hemorrhage. However, the hemorrhages are rarely large and almost never require surgical intervention. There is a favorable trend, but no significant risk reduction when EVDs are placed in the operating room rather than the intensive care unit.
Gardner
Paul A
PA
Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. gardpa@upmc.edu
Engh
Johnathan
J
Atteberry
Dave
D
Moossy
John J
JJ
D002404:Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology*; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles; D004322:Drainage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014696:Ventriculostomy / Q000009:adverse effects