Efficacy and Safety of Intraventricular Antibiotic Administration: A Review of the Literature

The administration of antibiotics via intraventricular administration for treatment of central nervous system infections is an understudied topic that lacks data for specific patient outcomes regarding dosing and adverse events. A comprehensive review of the literature was performed on PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, and CINAHL using the following terminology: “intraventricular” OR “intraventricular drug administration” AND “antibiotic” OR “antimicrobial” AND “infection” AND “CNS” NOT “Intrathecal.” Studies that described adult human patients who received an antibiotic via intraventricular administration with complete dosing, efficacy, and safety data were included. A total of 8 studies met inclusion and were used in this review and detailed the use of antibiotics targeting resistant Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Minimal adverse effects were reported, although the determination of appropriate dosing and markers of efficacy remains elusive due to the common concomitant administration of intravenous antibiotics. Further clinical evaluation is necessary.
Source: Infectious Diseases in Clinical Practice - Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Review Articles Source Type: research