A novel single twist-drill access device for multimodal intracranial monitoring: A 5-year single-institution experience

Background: Multimodal Intracranial Monitoring in the Neurosurgical Patient Requires Insertion of Probes Through Multiple Craniostomies. Objective: to Report Our 5-Yr. Experience with A Novel Device Allowing Multimodal Monitoring though A Single Twist-drill Hole. Methods: All Devices Were Placed at the Kocher Point between 2008 and 2013 at Our Inst.. An Ind. Clin. Res. Nurse Prospectively Collected Data on All Bedside Placements. Placement Accuracy Was Graded on Computed Tomography Scan As Grade 1 , Grade 2 , and Grade 3 . Infect. Was Monitored with Serial Cerebrospinal Fluid Samples. Results: Two Hundred Seventy-five Devices Were Placed in Patients with Spontaneous Subarachnoid Hemorrhage , Traum. Brain Inj. , and Others for A Median Duration of 6 Days. A Jr. , Midlevel , or Sr. Resident Placed 39%, 32%, and 29% of the Devices, Respectively. Ninety-two Percent of All Devices Placed Were Draining Cerebrospinal Fluid, Ie, Were Grade 1 or 2 . Placement Accuracy Did Not Vary with Level of Train.. Complications Included Hemorrhage and Infect. , with 1 Patient Requiring Intraparenchymal Hematoma Evacuation and A Second Requiring Abscess Drainage. These Rates Were Lower Than Reported in the Lit. for Std. Ext. Ventricular Drains. Conclusion: Hummingbird Synergy is A Novel Single-port Access Device for Multimodal Intracranial Monitoring That Can Be Placed Safely at the Bedside or in the Operating Rm. with Placement Accuracy and Has A Complication Profile Similar to or Better Than That for Std. Ext. Ventricular Drains.