title: Factors associated with external ventricular drain placement accuracy: data from an electronic health record repository.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We evaluated external ventricular drain placement for factors associated with placement accuracy. Data were acquired using an electronic health record data requisition tool.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records of all patients who underwent ventriculostomy from 2003 to 2010 were identified and evaluated. Patient demographics, diagnosis, type of guidance and number of catheter passes were searched for and recorded. Post-procedural hemorrhage and/or infection were identified. A grading scale was used to classify accuracy of catheter placements. A multiple logistic regression model was developed to assess features associated with accurate catheter placement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred nine patients who underwent 111 ventriculostomies from 2003 to 2010 were identified. Patient diagnoses were classified into vascular (63 %), tumor (21 %), trauma (14 %), and cyst (2 %). Procedures were performed freehand in 90 (81 %), with the Ghajar guide in 17 (15 %), and with image guidance in 4 (4 %) patients. Eighty-eight (79 %) catheters were placed in the correct location. Trauma patients were more likely to have catheters misplaced (p = 0.007) whereas patients in other diagnostic categories were not significantly associated with misplaced catheters. Post-procedural hemorrhage was noted in 2 (1.8 %) patients on post-procedural imaging studies. Five (4.5 %) definite and 6 (5.4 %) suspected infections were identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  External ventricular drain placement can be performed accurately in most patients. Patients with trauma are more likely to have catheters misplaced. Further development is required to identify and evaluate procedure outcomes using an electronic health record repository.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. patil@bwh.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Vaibhav
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Patil
authors.forename: Ronilda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lacson
authors.forename: Kirby G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Vosburgh
authors.forename: Judith M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Prevedello
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Andriole
authors.forename: Srinivasan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mukundan
authors.forename: A John
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Popp
authors.forename: Ramin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Khorasani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D057785:Catheters / Q000009:adverse effects; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014696:Ventriculostomy / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult