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62nd Annual Meeting of the German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC)
Joint Meeting with the Polish Society of Neurosurgeons (PNCH)

German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC)

7 - 11 May 2011, Hamburg

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First clinical experiences with a new telemetric intracranial pressure monitoring system

Meeting Abstract

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  • C.A. Tschan - Neurochirurgische Klinik und Poliklinik, Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes und Medizinische Fakultät, Homburg/Saar, Deutschland
  • P. Dodier - Neurochirurgische Klinik und Poliklinik, Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes und Medizinische Fakultät, Homburg/Saar, Deutschland
  • S. Welschehold - Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Neurochirurgische Universitätsklinik, Mainz, Deutschland
  • S. Vulcu - Neurochirurgische Klinik und Poliklinik, Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes und Medizinische Fakultät, Homburg/Saar, Deutschland
  • J. Oertel - Neurochirurgische Klinik und Poliklinik, Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes und Medizinische Fakultät, Homburg/Saar, Deutschland
  • W. Wagner - Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Neurochirurgische Universitätsklinik, Mainz, Deutschland

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. Polnische Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgen. 62. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC), Joint Meeting mit der Polnischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgen (PNCH). Hamburg, 07.-11.05.2011. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2011. DocMO.06.03

doi: 10.3205/11dgnc031, urn:nbn:de:0183-11dgnc0310

Published: April 28, 2011

© 2011 Tschan et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.

Outline

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Objective: The knowledge of intracranial pressure (ICP) often is the basis of an appropriate neurosurgical treatment. As clinical, fundoscopic or imaging data alone are often elusive, the exact measurement of ICP is desirable.

Methods: We describe the first experiences with a new telemetric intraparenchymal pressure probe (Neurovent®-P-tel, Raumedic AG, Helmbrechts, Germany) whose transducer is placed over the calvaria under the galea. ICP can be monitored via a special telemetric reader, placed over the intact skin. ICP values are stored in a small portable computer. The system does not require ICU environment but can be used at any ward or even at home.

Results: Between January and December 2010 the new system was successfully applied in 19 patients (mean age 16,7 y, range 2–56 y) without complications. Diagnoses were suspicion of hydrocephalus, shunt dysfunction, ETV failure, pseudotumor cerebri or craniostenosis. Implantation period of the probe was in mean 65 days (range 8–209 days). In 11 patients, normal ICP values could exclude pathological ICP and further surgical measures could be avoided; in eight patients, repeated plateaus of raised ICP indicated ETV, shunt operation or decompressive craniotomy – resulting in a normalization of ICP.

Conclusions: The system was effective for IPC monitoring over a long period outside the hospital, easy-to-handle even for parents at home, reliable over many weeks without drift problems and highly helpful in surgical decision making or fine adjustment of the shunt valves. Its use in difficult cases of suspected ICP alterations and desirable long-term monitoring outside the ICU is recommended.