Is There a Place for Cerebrospinal Fluid External Lumbar Drainage in Posttraumatic Intracranial Hypertension? Pros, Cons, and Uncertainties.

Although different single-center series have shown the beneficial effects of cerebrospinal fluid external lumbar drainage in intracranial pressure control in patients with traumatic brain injury presenting with refractory intracranial hypertension, benefits must be balanced with potential life-threatening complications. In this article, we discuss the pros and cons and the uncertainties related to the use of cerebrospinal fluid external lumbar drainage in patients with traumatic brain injury.