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Strategies to Decrease the Risk of Ventricular Catheter Infections: A Review of the Evidence

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Abstract

The use of antibiotic-coated external ventricular catheters has been controversial among practitioners; although several papers have documented decreased adherence of microbes to catheters treated with antibiotics, there is no universally accepted practice standard for the use of coated catheters for the prevention of clinical infection. In this paper, we review the in vivo and in vitro evidence for antibiotic-coated catheters.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurologic Surgery, The Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA

    Maya A. Babu & W. Richard Marsh

  2. Department of Infectious Diseases, The Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA

    Robin Patel

  3. Department of Neurology Critical Care, The Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA

    Eelco F. M. Wijdicks

Authors
  1. Maya A. Babu
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  2. Robin Patel
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  3. W. Richard Marsh
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  4. Eelco F. M. Wijdicks
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Correspondence to Maya A. Babu.

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Babu, M.A., Patel, R., Marsh, W.R. et al. Strategies to Decrease the Risk of Ventricular Catheter Infections: A Review of the Evidence. Neurocrit Care 16, 194–202 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12028-011-9647-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12028-011-9647-z

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