External lumbar drainage with volumetric continuing infusion pump in patients with cerebrospinal fluid leak. A case series

Abstract Objective To describe the incidence and complications arising in a number of cases of patients with cerebrospinal fluid leak treated by external lumbar drainage with infusion pump (IP) volumetric continuous from 2001 to 2014. Quantify cerebrospinal fluid leak closed by lumbar drainage with IP. Methods Retrospective descriptive case series study. Population: patients undergoing transsphenoidal pituitary surgery, Chiari surgery and laminectomy, that developed postoperative cerebrospinal fluid leak treated with continuous external lumbar drainage by IP. Variables: age, sex, type of intervention, variables related to the practice of the pump and complications. Average and medians were calculated for quantitative variables, frequencies and percentages for qualitative. Results Sample: 11 subjects. Incidence in running IP: disconnection, occlusion and acoustic alarm activation. Most frequently complication is headache; a case of pneumocephalus. Discussion The small number of subjects and the heterogeneity of these do not allow for comparison or establishing associations between variables. The resolution of the cerebrospinal fluid leak with continuous IP is lower in this study than others, and may be influenced by the small number of subjects. It should be noted the frequent activation of the pump alarm for no apparent cause. Implications for practice Protocol would be developed for preparing the IP team to reduce the acoustic alarm activation, and would make a prospective multicenter study.