Going with the flow: lumbar cerebrospinal fluid drainage after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: indications, safety, and practical considerations
Abstract
Why drain cerebrospinal fluid after subarachnoid hemorrhage?How is lumbar drainage different than external ventricular drainage?In contrast to EVDs, LD promotes gravity-assisted drainage of blood products from basal cisterns and the spinal compartment-yielding a bloodier output and faster clearance of blood and breakdown products [11] (see Fig. 1).Communicating CSF pathways are a prerequisite for safe LD use.Compressed or absent basal cisterns, visible on CT, are a firm contraindication, as impaired CSF communication can precipitate downward brain displacement
Fields of Study & Subjects
Intracranial Aneurysms: Treatment and Complications
Neurosurgical Procedures and Complications
Head and Neck Surgical Oncology
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Intensive Care Medicine
- Publisher
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC
- Volume
- 52
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 1110–1113
- Publication date
- 25 February 2026
- Language
- EN