EMERGENCY VENTRICULOSTOMY - EXPERIENCE WITH A NEW SCREW DEVICE - TECHNICAL NOTE

EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, SUCH as acute hydrocephalus or ventricular hemor rhage, require immediate and reliable treatment by ventriculostomy. Th e method used has to be standardized, applicable in a fast manner, and associated with only minimum risk of infection. We present a recently developed set for external ventriculostomy, which meets the above-sta nding requirements, and which consists of a screw with self-biting thr ead, a metal cannula, and a special screwdriver. Ventriculostomy can b e performed easily within 2 minutes, and the system can be fixed rigid ly to the skull of the patient for a period of up to several weeks. Ex change of the cannula is possible within 1 minute. The system has been used in 90 cases so far, with a rate of possible infection of 1.1%.