Effects of continuous lumbar drainage combined with hyperbaric oxygen on the postoperative chronic hydrocephalus of severe craniocerebral injury

Objective To discuss effects of early continuous lumbar drainage (CLD) combined with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) on patients with postoperative chronic hydrocephalus (CH) of severe carniocerebral injury (SCI).Methods Three hundred and ninety postoperative cases of SCI collected from our hospital were divided into 3 groups:group A,the early HBO combined with CLD group (130 cases);group B,the CLD group (130 cases);group C,the routine drug treatment group (130 cases).Comparisons were made for the differences in rates of postoperative CH after SCI between groups within one year.Results Bates (or the number of cases) of CH occurred within one year for the 3 groups were as follows:group A 5.38%(7 Cases),group B 12.31%(16 cases),group C 21.54%(28 cases).Differences in the rates for the 3 groups were compared by Chi-square test:the result of the comparison for group A and B was x2=3.864,P<0.05,for group B and C was X2=3.939,P<0.05,for group A and C was x2=14.560,P<0.01.Conclusions CLD could effectively reduce rate of postoperative CH following SCI,with the effect being more obvious if it was combined with HBO. Key words: Severe craniocerebral injury; Chronic hydrocephalus; Continuous lumbar drainage; Hyperbaric oxygen