Prospective randomized study of therapy in cerebrospinal fluid shunt infection.

Thirty patients who met the rigid criteria for a prospective randomized study of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt infections underwent therapy with the three currently advocated treatment modalities to determine the efficacy of each form of therapy. Ten patients (Group A) underwent shunt removal and, in addition to receiving systemic antibiotics, were treated by either external ventricular drainage or intermittent ventricular taps for decompression and antibiotic administration; 10 patients (Group B) were treated by removal and immediate replacement of the shunt and intrashunt antibiotic therapy; and 10 patients (Group C) received antibiotics without removal or replacement of the shunt. All patients were given intravenous and intraventricular antibiotics as follows: in Group A, antibiotics were given by both the intravenous and the intraventricular routes for a minimal period of 7 days; in Group B, intravenous antibiotics were administered for a minimal period of 3 weeks and twice daily intraventricular antibiotics were given for a minimal period of 2 weeks; in Group C, intravenous antibiotics were administered for a minimal period of 3 weeks and twice daily intraventricular antibiotics were given for a minimal period of 2 weeks. In all patients, CSF was obtained from the shunt and cultured 48 hours after the cessation of antibiotic therapy, and the cultures were repeated within 4 months of the completion of treatment. All patients in Group A and 9 of 10 patients in Group B were treated successfully. They were clinically asymptomatic, and cultures after treatment were sterile. However, only 3 patients in Group C responded to treatment. The remaining patients of Group C had persistent infections requiring additional therapy. The mean follow-up of the study group was 23 +/- 14 (SD) months. The mean hospitalization time for the study group was 33 +/- 21 days; the hospitalization time was 24.7 +/- 17 days for Group A alone, 32.7 +/- 8 days for Group B, and 47 +/- 37 days Group C.