Safety and feasibility of lumbar drainage in the management of poor grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage

Publication date: Available online 22 April 2019Source: Journal of Clinical NeuroscienceAuthor(s): Pietro Panni, Carmine Antonio Donofrio, Lina Raffaella Barzaghi, Lodoviga Giudice, Luigi Albano, Claudio Righi, Franco Simionato, Francesco Scomazzoni, Silvano Cozzi, Maria Rosa Calvi, Luigi Beretta, Andrea Falini, Pietro MortiniAbstractThe use of lumbar drain (LD) in the aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) has been described to reduce cerebral vasospasm and delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI), with a lack of studies referring to high grade population. The purpose of our study is to assess safety and feasibility of LD in the poor grade aSAH population subjected to endovascular aneurysm occlusion.Twenty-four consecutive poor grade aSAH patients, defined as grade IV and V according to World Federation of Neurological Surgeons (WFNS) classification, subjected to endovascular aneurysm occlusion, were retrospectively reviewed. Details of CSF drainage via LD and related complications were analyzed. Ventriculo-lumbar pressure gradient (VLPG) lower than 6 mmHg was considered in order to start LD use. Good outcome was defined as modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 0–2.LD was started within 72 h since aSAH in 17 cases (70.8%), and in 7 cases (29.2%) it was delayed due to contraindications. The mean LD length was of 13.8 days. The median VLPG during drainage was 2 mmHg (IQR: 0–4). No cases of brain or spinal hemorrhage, permanent neurological worsening due to brain herniation were no...
Source: Journal of Clinical Neuroscience - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research