Ventricular Drainage Sets Can Be Used Following Tumor Surgery, Until CSF Circulation Is Re-Established
Ventricular drainage sets use a combination of gravity and intercerebral pressure to drain CSF. The drainage rate depends on the height at which the External Ventricular Drain (EVD) system is placed relative to the patient's anatomy. Neurosurgeons or neurointensivists use EVD to divert fluid from the ventricles of the brain and allow for monitoring of intracranial pressure. Ventricular drainage sets can be used following tumor surgery, until the CSF circulation is re-established and to drain infected CSF during the treatment of meningitis. It is also used in patients with a severe head injury to provide both a means of measuring continuous intracranial pressure and allowing CSF drainage to treat raised continuous intracranial pressure. To an EVD, the patient is positioned with head/torso at 45° angle relative to the floor and his/her frontal scalp is shaved. Surgeons mark Kocher point (approximately 11 cm from the nasion and 3 cm from the midpupillary line) and prepp and dra