Risk factors and outcomes associated with external ventricular drain infections.

Background: Insertion of an external ventricular drain (EVD) is a common neurosurgical procedure which may lead to serious complications including infection. Some risk factors associated with EVD infection are well established. Others remain less certain, including specific indications for placement, prior neurosurgery, and prior EVD placement.

Decreasing External Ventricular Drain Infection Rates in the Neurocritical Care Unit: 12-Year Longitudinal Experience at a Single Institution.

Objective: External ventricular drain (EVD) placement is a common neurosurgical procedure, and EVD-related infection is a significant complication. We examined the effect of infection control protocol changes on EVD-related infection incidence.

Methods: Changes in EVD placement protocol and incidence density of infections after implementation of protocol changes in the neurocritical care unit were tracked from 2007 to 2019.