Detailed standardized protocol to prevent cerebrospinal fluid shunt infection.

Objective: While cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt surgery plays an essential role in the treatment of hydrocephalus, postoperative infection due to the implantation of foreign materials is still one of the most common and potentially serious complications of this procedure. Because no previously reported protocol has been proven to prevent postoperative infection after CSF shunt surgeries in adults, the authors investigated the effectiveness of a protocol introduced in their institution.

Methods: A detailed standardized surgical protocol to prevent infection in patients undergoing CSF shunt surgeries was introduced in the authors' institution in December 2011.