The treatment of children with shunt infections: extraventricular drainage system care.

The history of shunt placement in children with hydrocephalus spans several decades. The current use of ventriculoperitoneal shunting has provided the most successful form of treatment. Infections, however, continue to be a major problem in as many as 30% of these patients. The use of extraventricular drainage systems (EVD) in conjunction with antibiotic therapy has proven safe and effective in managing children with shunt infections and offers many advantages compared to other forms of treatment used in the past.