Rifampin-impregnated silicone catheters: a potential tool for prevention and treatment of CSF shunt infections.

Background: Infection continues to be one of the major complications of cerebro-spinal fluid shunting procedures. Recent insights in the pathophysiological mechanism of these foreign body infections have elucidated the difficulty of achieving successful treatment without device removal. The development of a rifampin-impregnated silicone catheter yielded excellent results in infection prevention and treatment in vitro as well as in an animal model. Patients and Methods: Here, we describe the application of this device in two patients with a complicated course of shunt infection. Results: In one patient the rifampin-impregnated shunt system was implanted after external drainage to prevent fur…