Clinical and Laboratory Findings of Beer et al for Ventriculomeningitis Associated with an External Ventricular Drainage (EVD) Catheter

 

Patient selection: ICU patient with an external draining ventricular catheter

 

Clinical findings:

(1) fever

(2) meningism

(3) reduced level of consciousness

(4) photophobia

(5) phonophobia

 

Laboratory findings:

(1) decrease in CSF glucose

(2) elevated CSF protein

(3) pleocytosis in CSF white blood cell count

(4) positive CSF Gram stain and/or culture

(5) rising CSF cell index (see Chapter 17)

 

The ability to trend laboratory changes in the CSF may help to identify a trend prior to clinical onset.