CSF withdrawal for the treatment of intracranial hypertension in acute head injuries

Summary Long-term ICP recording was carried out in 151 acute head injury patients—131 comatose patients admitted to ICU, and 20 non-comatose patients harbouring intracerebral mass lesions (lacerations or haematomas) in whom a decision to operate was doubtful. CSF withdrawal was used in 39 cases: by intermittent subtraction in 23 patients, and by continuous ventricular drainage (VD) in the remainder. In the acute stage, within 72 hours of injury, CSF subtraction proved of little use in influencing ICP or clinical time course. Conversely, at a latter stage, CSF withdrawal either by repeated intermittent subtraction or by continuous VD could very often control raised ICP. However, some patients had to undergo permanent shunting eventually. Elevated ICP was also safely controlled in four out of eight patients with intracerebral mass lesions and stationary symptoms. Such patients recovered quickly, and operation was avoided.