External Ventricular and Lumbar Drains: Indications, Procedures, and Patient Care

The definitive guide to managing external ventricular and lumbar drains—a common but overlooked procedure in medical literature

The most common point of contact with providers in neurocritical care units, trauma units, and emergency departments, external ventricular drains and lumbar drains are used to relieve elevated intracranial pressure, usually due to a brain hemorrhage from acute trauma.

Covering indications, anatomy, planning, and procedure stages for each drain, External Ventricular...