Clinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
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Clin. Microbiol. Infect. · Apr 2000
Subcutaneous ventricular catheter reservoir and ventriculoperitoneal drain-related infections in preterm infants and young children.
In the period January 1990 to September 1997, 70 patients, aged under 6 years were treated for hydrocephalus with a subcutaneous ventricular catheter reservoir and/or a ventriculoperitoneal drain at the University Hospital of Maastricht. ⋯ Prematurity is an important risk factor for ventricular catheter reservoir and ventriculoperitoneal drain-related infections, especially for patients with a postmenstrual age of less than 37 weeks at their initial shunt placement and extreme low birth weight infants have a high risk for infection. In our opinion the use of adequate antibiotic prophylaxis and optimal infection control measures are necessary to keep the rate of infection as low as possible.