Analysis of Drainage Volume in External Ventricular Drainage Based on Intracranial Pressure and Drainage Catheter Size for Clinical Nurses

<b>Introduction:</b> The purpose of this study is to provide foundational data for nursing care in patients with external ventricular drainage (EVD) by comparatively analyzing drainage volume in relation to intracranial pressure (ICP) and drainage catheter size. <b>Methods:</b> In this study, we conducted a volumetric analysis using the continuity and Bernoulli equations, considering friction forces under predefined conditions. In adults in the supine position with 37 °C CSF, the ventricular drainage volume was assessed based on the height of the EVD system, ICP levels, and EVD catheter sizes. <b>Results:</b> The results indicated that the CSF flow rate increased with larger catheter diameters and when the EVD system was positioned lower than the reference point (foramen of Monro). Across all catheter sizes, the minimum CSF flow occurred when the EVD system was 15 cm above the reference point, while the maximum flow was observed when it was 15 cm below the reference point. This multidisciplinary study, utilizing fluid dynamics, quantitatively estimates the drainage volume in EVD systems based on ICP and catheter size, contributing to the nursing care of EVD systems. The findings underscore the importance of developing specific nursing guidelines to improve patient safety in external ventricular drainage management and incorporating them into clinical education. <b>Conclusions:</b> A limitation of this study is that it does not compare with patients in clinical settings for clinical empirical validity. Therefore, a stepwise validation process is necessary. So, future studies will need to compare medical record data with the results of this study to confirm the validity of the equations presented.