Treatment of infections associated with shunting for hydrocephalus. Working Party on the Use of Antibiotics in Neurosurgery of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.

The incidence of cerebrospinal fluid shunt infections has fallen in recent years, but they still represent a major consumption of resources in neurosurgery, especially paediatric neurosurgery. A variety of approaches and a wide range of drugs are available for their treatment, but despite the use of 'appropriate' antimicrobials the failure and relapse rates are sometimes high and repeat courses have to be given.