Infection
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Case Reports
Rifampin-impregnated silicone catheters: a potential tool for prevention and treatment of CSF shunt infections.
Infection continues to be one of the major complications of cerebro-spinal fluid shunting procedures. Recent insights in the pathophysiological mechanism of these foreign body infections have elucidated the difficulty of achieving successful treatment without device removal. The development of a rifampin-impregnated silicone catheter yielded excellent results in infection prevention and treatment in vitro as well as in an animal model. ⋯ These results suggest that rifampin-impregnated silicone catheters could become a valuable tool in the treatment and prevention of shunt infections.