Reduction of surgical infections associated with ventriculoperitoneal shunt, a new protocol retrospective cohort of 400 cases

Abstract

Hydrocephalus is one of the most common diseases in neurosurgical practice with a prevalence in children of 0.5-1/1000 newborns. Shunt dysfunction and infection are the most common complications in the treatment of this disease and strongly affect the neurological outcome. The aim of this study is to asses if the implementation of a new surgical protocol can reduce infections associated with the placement of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. This is a retrospective cohort study intended to analyze if the application of a new surgical protocol can lower the infection rates in these patients. Infection incidence rate in group A (patients treated before the application of the protocol) were compared with the incidence rate in group B (patients treated after the protocol was applied). The two groups were not statistically different regarding base line characteristics. The incidence in group A was 13.5% (CI95%) compared with 3.5% (CI 95%) in group B, p < 0.05. (IC 95% 0.09-0. 54). The instauration of a group of measures applied at the surgery can deeply influence the outcome of the ventriculoperitoneal shunts