Management of patients with external ventricular drainage at the Yalgado Ouedraogo University Hospital Center (CHU-YO)

AbstractIntroduction: External ventricular Drainage (EVD) is a system for transiently evacuating cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to the exterior, using a drain surgically implanted in the ventricles. The aim of this first work about external ventricular drainage in our country (Burkina Faso), was to study the management of patients undergoing EVD at the Yalgado Ouedraogo University Hospital (CHU-YO). Patients and methods: This was a retrospective study of 97 cases of EVD over a nine-year period (January 1st, 2015 to December 31th, 2023) in the neurosurgery department of CHU-YO. Results: The mean annual frequency of EVD was 10.77 cases. The mean age was 34.95 ± 23.8 years, ranging from 4 months to 88 years. Males accounted for 54.64%, giving a sex ratio of 1.2. Clinically, 69 patients (71.13%) had altered consciousness. Indications were hydrocephalus due to cerebral hemorrhage with ventricular flooding in 54 cases (55.67%) and hydrocephalus due to infection in 32 cases (32.98%). EVD was performed via the frontal horn of the right lateral ventricle in 82.47% of cases. After monitoring for 8 days, the outcome was favorable in 50 cases (51.54%), and marked by infectious complications in 25 cases (25.77%), with a mortality rate of 36.08%. Conclusion: EVD is a simple, rapid and effective emergency surgical procedure for the treatment of fluid-induced intracranial hypertension (ICH). It requires correct monitoring. However, the patient's vital and functional prognosis depends on the etiology of the ICH.