Active clinical trials for "Hydrocephalus"

External ventricular catheters are used for intracranial pressure monitoring and temporary cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage in neurosurgery. The incidence of ventriculostomy-related cerebrospinal fluid infections had been quoted as between 2.2% to 10.4% in the more recent literature. Previous prospective studies in the investigators' unit have shown that the use of dual antibiotics prophylaxis in patients with external ventricular drain was associated with decreased incidence of CSF infection but was complicated with opportunistic extracranial infections. The current practice is to cover with prophylactic dual antibiotics unless guided by microbiology results for all patients with external ventricular drain. In recent years, cerebrospinal fluid shunt catheters impregnated with antimicrobial agents have been available. Experimental studies have shown that they provide protection against staphylococcal aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci strains for between 42 days and 56 days. Theoretically, they provide the antibiotic prophylaxis locally without the associated complications of systemic antibiotics. It is hypothesized that the use of antibiotic-impregnated catheters instead of systemic antibiotic prophylaxis will not increase the rate of cerebrospinal fluid infection, will decrease the rate of opportunistic/nosocomial infections and improves the overall outcome in these patients; that would convert into a reduction in treatment cost of these patients.

The objective of this pilot study is to perform a set of pressure and flow rate measurements in order to quantitatively characterize safe irrigation or "flushing" of a ventricular shunt catheter, a routine maneuver performed by a neurosurgeon during a shunt revision surgery. This maneuver involves injecting saline with a syringe to clear plugged shunt catheters. Based on data obtained in Stage I of the study, a device has been fabricated which provides the same small-volume pulse of fluid used by surgeons. In Stage II of the study, pressure and flow rate measurements generated by this specialized flusher device will be collected and measured.

This research is about the use of subgaleal drains to prevent accumulation of blood under the skin in patients undergoing surgery to remove part of the skull(craniectomy) and its associated complications. There have been early research that shows usage of subgaleal drains maybe related to increase in complication rates after craniectomy. These complications include hydrocephalus (accumulation of fluid in the brain), new hemorrhages, infection and low blood pressure. The investigators are performing this research to determine which type of subgaleal drains would produce the least complications. With this knowledge, the investigators would be able to reduce the amount of complications for future patients that undergo surgery to remove part of the skull. The purpose of this study is to determine the rate of complications in the 3 different groups of patients using the different types of drains under the skin in surgeries that involve removal of part of the skull. All participants will undergo the required surgery to remove part of the skull (craniectomy). Participants will then be randomly assigned to either one of 3 groups which are the vacuum drain group, passive drain group or no drain group.Participants in the vacuum drain group will have vacuum drains inserted during the closing stage of the surgery. Participants in the passive drain group will have passive drains inserted during the closing stage of the surgery. Participants in the no drain group will have a drain inserted during the closing stage of the procedure but the drain will remained closed. Data will then be collected and analysed to determine if the type of drains influence the rate of complications in craniectomy

An endoscopic third ventriculostomy is considered to be successful in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) in some literature reports, but there is a lack of high quality data. The aim of the present study is to compare the treatment options of iNPH (Endoscopic third ventriculostomy versus ventriculo-peritoneal shunt) in a randomized, controlled, multicenter study.

This research is being done to determine the accuracy of two noninvasive methods of measuring the pressure of the spinal fluid, also known as intracranial pressure (ICP).

The purpose of this study is to compare the accuracy of ShuntCheck (SC) and ShuntCheck plus Micro-Pumper (SC+MP) to radionuclide shunt patency testing (SPS) in evaluating shunt function in patients with adult hydrocephalus (AH) implanted with ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts when shunt obstruction is suspected and a diagnostic procedure such as radionuclide shunt patency testing (SPS) is required.

Despite the efforts made in its treatment, aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage continues to induce high mortality and morbidity rates. Today there are treatment protocols in all hospitals. The vast majority prefer, whenever possible, the endovascular route, given its lesser aggressiveness and morbidity. Although embolization prevents aneurysm' rebleeding, it does remove the subarachnoid blood clot. Therefore, it does not modify the evolution, incidence and severity of vasospasm. The idea is to carry out a 10-year retrospective study classifying patients into five groups based on the type of treatment received, analyzing the results' differences. The aim is to improve what is done as much as possible and to be able to propose potential areas for improvement. Besides, this study will be the basis of a future prospective study, prepared without the current one's biases and errors.

Correlation of cerebrospinal fluid levels of transforming growth factor beta-1 with functional improvements after insertion of ventriculoperitoneal shunt for normal pressure hydrocephalus

Research Purpose: This study aimed to continue to evaluate safety information from subjects implanted with a catheter (trade name: Bactiseal) produced by Codman & Shurtleff, Inc. of the United States. Device safety would be assessed based on all the adverse events that occurred within one year after the subjects implanted the catheter.

This study aimed to collect safety information from subjects implanted with a shunt system (trade name: Hakim Shunt Programmable System) produced by Codman & Shurtleff, Inc. of the United States. Device safety would be assessed based on all the adverse events that occurred within one year after the subjects implanted the catheter.