Timing of surgical treatment for idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus: association between treatment delay and reduced short-term benefit.

OBJECTIVE A growing body of evidence suggests that longer durations of preoperative symptoms may correlate with worse postoperative outcomes following cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion for treatment of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH). The aim of this study is to determine whether the duration of preoperative symptoms alters postoperative outcomes in patients treated for iNPH. METHODS The authors conducted a retrospective review of 393 cases of iNPH involving patients treated with ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunting. The duration of symptoms prior to the operative intervention was recorded. The following outcome variables were assessed at baseline, 6 months postoperatively, and at last follow-up: gait performance, urinary continence, and cognition. RESULTS The patients' median age at shunt placement was 74 years. Increased symptom duration was significantly associated with worse gait outcomes (relative risk (RR) 1.055 per year of symptoms, p = 0.037), and an overall absence of improvement in any of the classic triad symptomology (RR 1.053 per year of symptoms, p = 0.033) at 6 months postoperatively. Additionally, there were trends toward significance for symptom duration increasing the risk of having no 6-month postoperative improvement in urinary incontinence (RR 1.049 per year of symptoms, p = 0.069) or cognitive symptoms (RR 1.051 per year of symptoms, p = 0.069). However, no statistically significant differences were noted in these outcomes at last follow-up (median 31 months). Age stratification by decade revealed that prolonging symptom duration was significantly associated with lower Mini-Mental Status Examination scores in patients aged 60-70 years, and lack of cognitive improvement in patients aged 70-80 years. CONCLUSIONS Patients with iNPH with longer duration of preoperative symptoms may not receive the same short-term benefits of surgical intervention as patients with shorter duration of preoperative symptoms. However, with longer follow-up, the patients generally reached the same end point. Therefore, when managing patients with iNPH, it may take longer to see the benefits of CSF shunting when patients present with a longer duration of preoperative symptoms.

Increasing Ketamine Use for Refractory Status Epilepticus in US Pediatric Hospitals.

Ketamine is an emerging therapy for pediatric refractory status epilepticus. The circumstances of its use, however, are understudied. The authors described pediatric refractory status epilepticus treated with ketamine from 2010 to 2014 at 45 centers using the Pediatric Hospital Inpatient System database. For comparison, they described children treated with pentobarbital. The authors estimated that 48 children received ketamine and pentobarbital for refractory status epilepticus, and 630 pentobarbital without ketamine. Those receiving only pentobarbital were median age 3 [interquartile range 0-10], and spent 30 [18-52] days in-hospital, including 17 [9-28] intensive care unit (ICU) days; 17% died. Median cost was $148 000 [81 000-241 000]. The pentobarbital-ketamine group was older (7 [2-11]) with longer hospital stays (51 [30-93]) and more ICU days (29 [20-56]); 29% died. Median cost was $298 000 [176 000-607 000]. For 71%, ketamine was given ≥1 day after pentobarbital. Ketamine cases per half-year increased from 2 to 9 ( P < .05). Ketamine is increasingly used for severe pediatric refractory status epilepticus, typically after pentobarbital. Research on its effectiveness is indicated.

Comparison of outcomes between patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus who received a primary versus a salvage shunt.

Placement of a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt is the treatment of choice for communicating hydrocephalus; however, the extent to which VP shunting is able to relieve symptoms in patients who had previously been treated with cerebrospinal fluid diverting therapy at an outside institution remains unclear. A retrospective review of patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus treated with VP shunts at a single institution between 1993 and 2013 was conducted. Patients were classified as having received a primary VP shunt if they had not been previously treated with a VP shunt, ventriculoatrial shunt, lumboperitoneal shunt, or endoscopic third ventriculostomy. Patients were classified as having received a salvage VP shunt if they had been previously treated by one of these four modalities at an outside institution prior to their presentation to our institution. There were 357 patients who received a primary shunt and 33 patients who received a salvage shunt. Patients who had a salvage shunt placed had significantly higher odds of requiring a future revision (54% versus 41%; odds ratio=2.85; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.24-6.57; p=0.014). Patients who received a salvage shunt had statistically significantly lower rates of gait improvement at 6months in comparison to patients who received a primary shunt (relative risk=0.35; 95% CI: 0.14-0.87; p=0.025). Despite these findings, there was no significant difference at last follow-up in improvement in gait, continence, and cognition, indicating that outcomes for patients requiring a salvage shunt were comparable to patients receiving a primary shunt.

Predictors of Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Revision in Patients with Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.

OBJECTIVE: Few studies have focused on predictive factors of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt revision in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH). This study aims to determine whether comorbidities and baseline symptoms are associated with the need for shunt revision. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients with iNPH treated with VP shunts by the senior author from 1993 to 2013 was conducted. Demographics and baseline symptoms were compared between patients with and without shunt revision. The need for revision, total number of revisions, and time to first revision were examined. Statistical analysis was performed using simple logistic, linear, and Poisson regression, and a multivariate analysis was performed. RESULTS: A total of 347 patients with iNPH who received VP shunts were included. One hundred patients (28.8%) required shunt revision, with an average of 1.38 ± 0.76 revisions per patient. Mean time to revision was 19.2 ± 31.7 months. Gait and cognitive symptoms were associated with fewer revisions (incidence rate ratio, 0.45 and 0.67; P = 0.03 and 0.004, respectively). Headaches and urinary incontinence showed a greater time to revision (32.0 and 12.0 months; P = 0.014 and <0.0005, respectively). Gait instability demonstrated decreased time to revision (P < 0.0005). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative symptoms, such as headaches, gait instability, cognitive decline, and urinary incontinence, were significantly correlated with number of revisions and time to first revision. These factors should be considered during the initial counseling of prognosis for patients with iNPH receiving VP shunts.