Decreasing ventricular infections through the use of a ventriculostomy placement bundle: experience at a single institution.

Object: Ventricular infection after ventriculostomy placement carries a high mortality rate. Responding to ventriculostomy infection rates, a multidisciplinary performance improvement team was formed, a comprehensive protocol for ventriculostomy placement was developed, and the efficacy was evaluated.

Methods: A best-practice protocol was developed, including hand hygiene before the procedure; prophylactic antibiotics; sterile gloves changed between preparation, draping, and procedure; hair removal by clipping for dressing adherence; skin preparation using iodine povacrylex (0.7% available iodine) and isopropyl alcohol (74%); full body and head drape; full surgical attire for the surgeon and other bedside providers; and an antimicrobial-impregnated catheter. A checklist of critical components was used to confirm proper insertion and to monitor practice. Procedure-specific infection rates were calculated using the number of infections divided by the number of patients in whom an external ventricular drainage (EVD) device was inserted × 100 (%). Data were reported back to providers and to the committee. Bundle compliance was monitored over a 4-year period.

Results: At the authors' institution, 2928 ventriculostomies were performed between the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2006 and the end of the first quarter of 2012. Although the best-evidence bundle was applied to all patients, only 588 (20.1%) were checklist monitored (increasing from 7% to 23% over the study period). The infection rate for the 2 quarters before bundle implementation was 9.2%. During the study period, the rate decreased quarterly to 2.6% and then to 0%. Over a 4-year period, the rate was 1.06% (2007), 0.66% (2008), 0.15% (2009), and 0.34% (2010); it was 0% in 2011 and the first quarter of 2012. The overall EVD infection rate was 0.46% after bundle implementation.

Conclusions: Bundle implementation including an antimicrobial-impregnated catheter dramatically decreased EVD-related infections. Training and situational awareness of appropriate practice, assisted by the checklist, plus use of the antibiotic-impregnated catheter resulted in sustained reduction in ventriculitis.