Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Neurosurgery

Background: Ventriculitis is a challenging medical condition with usually poor outcome, a long course of treatment and hospital stay. The conventional current mainstay management is the administration of antibiotics in addition to cerebrospinal fluid drainage by means of an external ventricular drain. Aim and objectives: The aim of this study is to compare the outcome of ventricular lavage -either endoscopically or using two tubes for irrigation and drainage with the conventional line of treatment. Patients and methods: A prospective controlled study was conducted on 32 patients with ventriculitis. Both groups were managed by removal of the infected ventricular catheter whenever present (24/32=75% of all cases). The first group was managed by ventricular lavage either endoscopically or using two ventricular tubes for irrigation and drainage, while the other group was managed using the conventional therapy by inserting an external ventricular drain. Intravenous and intraventricular antibiotics were used in both groups. The outcomes were compared regarding mortality rate, glasgow outcome scale and hospital stay duration

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