title: The complications and the position of the Codman MicroSensor™ ICP device: an analysis of 549 patients and 650 Sensors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Complications of and insertion depth of the Codman MicroSensor ICP monitoring device (CMS) is not well studied.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study complications and the insertion depth of the CMS in a clinical setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  We identified all patients who had their intracranial pressure (ICP) monitored using a CMS device between 2002 and 2010. The medical records and post implantation computed tomography (CT) scans were analyzed for occurrence of infection, hemorrhage and insertion depth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all, 549 patients were monitored using 650 CMS. Mean monitoring time was 7.0 ± 4.9 days. The mean implantation depth was 21.3 ± 11.1 mm (0-88 mm). In 27 of the patients, a haematoma was identified; 26 of these were less than 1 ml, and one was 8 ml. No clinically significant bleeding was found. There was no statistically significant increase in the number of hemorrhages in presumed coagulopathic patients. The infection rate was 0.6 % and the calculated infection rate per 1,000 catheter days was 0.8.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The risk for hemorrhagic and infectious complications when using the CMS for ICP monitoring is low. The depth of insertion varies considerably and should be taken into account if patients are treated with head elevation, since the pressure is measured at the tip of the sensor. To meet the need for ICP monitoring, an intraparenchymal ICP monitoring device should be preferred to the use of an external ventricular drainage (EVD).
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Neurosurgery, Umeå University, 901 85, Umeå, Sweden, lars-owe.koskinen@neuro.umu.se.
authors.forename: Lars-Owe D
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Koskinen
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grayson
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olivecrona
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004322:Drainage / Q000295:instrumentation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007427:Intracranial Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D055815:Young Adult