[Complications in measuring ventricular pressure in patients with craniocerebral trauma and spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage--a prospective study].

Complications of continuous registration of intracranial pressure were studied prospectively over a 2 year period in two groups of patients with head injuries (HI) and spontaneous intracranial haemorrhages (ICH). 53 patients of total 234 patients with head injuries and 68 patients of total 185 patients with spontaneous haemorrhages were studied. The time of ICP recording varied from 7.57 days (mean) in patients with ICH and 6.16 days (mean) in patients with HI respectively depending on the clinical situation. Subcortical parenchymatous haemorrhages (less than 0.5 cm in diameter) were observed in 6 patients. 2 patients suffered from meningitis but had associated rhinogenic CSF fistulas. In 16 cases without clinical signs of meningitis bacterial contamination of the catheter or the CSF was observed. Dislocation of the ventricular catheter during transport occurred in another 7 patients. In 6 cases the ventricular catheter occluded and had to be replaced. There were no statistical significant differences concerning the frequency of the different complications in both groups. From the low complication rate we conclude that ventriculostomy still is the "golden standard" of ICP recording.