{"id":"83ef572a-b2a6-42f5-ba50-6663e7f0e0e3","slug":"short-review-of-randomized-controlled-trials-for-surgical-neurology-international-part-ii-drain-associated-cerebrospinal-fluid-infections","title":"Short review of randomized controlled trials for Surgical Neurology International: Part II – drain-associated cerebrospinal fluid infections","authors":["Benjamin W. Y. Lo","Hitoshi Fukuda","Satoru Miyawaki","Anderson C. O. Tsang","Masaomi Koyanagi"],"abstract":"Background: Two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in 2018 addressed drain-associated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) infections, highlighting significant findings relevant to Surgical Neurology International readers. These studies examined the effectiveness of silver-impregnated drains and chlorhexidine dressings in reducing infection rates associated with external ventricular and lumbar drains. Summary: The SiLuDrain trial demonstrated that silver-impregnated lumbar drains resulted in fewer catheter-related complications and reduced Gram-positive bacterial infections. The EVDAI study indicated that chlorhexidine dressings effectively suppressed scalp bacterial growth, although both studies had small sample sizes and showed nonsignificant differences in bacterial colonization. Conclusion: Both RCTs suggest that silver-coated drains may reduce Gram-positive bacterial adherence and that chlorhexidine dressings can limit scalp bacterial growth. However, silver-coated drains may not be as effective as antibiotic-impregnated drains against Gram-negative bacterial colonization. Keywords: cerebrospinal fluid, infections, randomized controlled trials, silver-impregnated drains, chlorhexidine dressings, ventriculostomy, lumbar drains","thumbnailUrl":"https://sni-digital-videos.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/83ef572a-b2a6-42f5-ba50-6663e7f0e0e3/featured/hero-1782420866963.png","publishDate":"2019-03-26T00:00:00.000Z","doi":"10.25259/SNI-74-2019","categories":["Randomized Controlled Trials","Editorial"],"fullTextUrl":"https://surgicalneurologyint.com/api/articles/83ef572a-b2a6-42f5-ba50-6663e7f0e0e3/pdf"}