Prophylactic antibiotics and anticonvulsants in neurosurgery.

The prophylactic administration of antibiotics to prevent infection and the prophylactic administration of anticonvulsants to prevent first seizure episodes are common practice in neurosurgery. If prophylactic medication therapy is not indicated, the patient not only incurs the discomfort and the inconvenience resulting from drug treatment but is also unnecessarily exposed to adverse drug reactions, and incurs extra costs. The main situations in which prophylactic anticonvulsants and antibiotics are used are described and those situations we found controversial in the literature and lack further investigation are identified: anticonvulsants for preventing seizures in patients with chronic subdural hematomas, antiepileptic drugs for preventing seizures in those suffering from brain tumors, antibiotic prophylaxis for preventing meningitis in patients with basilar skull fractures, and antibiotic prophylaxis for the surgical introduction of intracranial ventricular shunts.In the following we present systematic reviews of the literature in accordance with the standard protocol of The Cochrane Collaboration to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of these prophylactic medications in the situations mentioned. Our goal was to efficiently integrate valid information and provide a basis for rational decision-making.

Examination portability.

Truly global radiology would exist if patients could visit any European physician without their CDs or films. It would be possible for patients to go to a hospital or a clinic in any European country and have their examinations done in a different country, analyzed and eventually compared with the examination done at that hospital. This paper analyzes two national projects that should be documented and analyzed: Scotland with a national archive with radiology images and Finland which is implementing a system that will create an online personal health record of the citizen with all health-related information. This possibility would improve quality in European radiology and create a true network of images and knowledge that can be the seed to improve efficiency by reducing costs and exposure to radiation and increasing knowledge sharing among Europeanradiologists/neuroradiologists. We present here the idea of a network between three centers in three different countries that can be the start for a global project.

Antiepileptic drugs for preventing seizures in people with brain tumors.

BACKGROUND: Seizures can present at any time before or after diagnosis of a brain tumor. The risk of seizures varies by tumor type and its location in the brain. For a long time we believed that preventing seizures with antiepileptic drugs (seizure prophylaxis) was effective and necessary, but the supporting evidence was little and mixed. Such evidence was the basis for previous reviews to conclude that seizure prophylaxis was ineffective in people with brain tumors. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the effectiveness of seizure prophylaxis in people with brain tumors, and to estimate the adverse event rates in the identified clinical trials. SEARCH STRATEGY: A search strategy that included free-text and MeSH terms in LILACS, EMBASE, PubMed, CENTRAL, and The Cochrane Library (1966 to 2007). SELECTION CRITERIA: Controlled clinical trials with random allocation, blinded or unblinded, and placebo or observation in the control groups. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We screened the articles, extracted the data, and rated the validity of each trial to assess the risk of bias. Our primary outcome was the occurrence of a first seizure. The secondary outcome was adverse events. We pooled the aggregate data for each outcome into a random-effects model meta-analysis using the relative risk (RR). For adverse events, we also included the number needed to harm (NNH) using the absolute risk increase to compute the NNH. MAIN RESULTS: There was no difference between the treatment interventions and the control groups in preventing a first seizure in participants with brain tumors. The risk of an adverse event was higher for those on antiepileptic drugs than for participants not on antiepileptic drugs (NNH 3; RR 6.10, 95% CI 1.10 to 34.63; P = 0.046). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The evidence is neutral, neither for nor against seizure prophylaxis, in people with brain tumors. These conclusions apply only for the antiepileptic drugs phenytoin, phenobarbital, and divalproex sodium. The decision to start an antiepileptic drug for seizure prophylaxis is ultimately guided by assessment of individual risk factors and careful discussion with patients.

Antibiotic prophylaxis for surgical introduction of intracranial ventricular shunts.

BACKGROUND: Systemic antibiotics and antibiotic-impregnated shunt systems are often used to prevent shunt infection. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of either prophylactic systemic antibiotics or antibiotic-impregnated shunt systems for preventing infection in patients who underwent surgical introduction of intracranial ventricular shunts. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS and the meeting proceedings from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and from the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies, until June 2005. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomized or quasi-randomized controlled trials comparing the use of prophylactic antibiotics (either systemic or antibiotic-impregnated shunt systems) in intracranial ventricular shunt procedures with placebo or no antibiotics. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two authors appraised quality and extracted data independently. MAIN RESULTS: We included seventeen trials with overall 2134 participants. We performed two separate meta-analyses: one that evaluated the use of systemic prophylactic antibiotics and another that evaluated the use of antibiotic-impregnated systems. All studies included shunt infection in their primary outcome. We could not analyse all-cause mortality regarding systemic antibiotics due to lack of data. No significant differences were found (odds ratio (OR): 1.47, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.83 to 2.62) for this outcome regarding the use of antibiotic-impregnated catheters compared with standard ones. The use of systemic antibiotic prophylaxis and the use of antibiotic-impregnated catheters were associated with a decrease in shunt infection (OR: 0.52, 95% CI 0.36 to 0.74 and OR: 0.21, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.55 respectively). We found no significant benefit for shunt revision in both meta-analyses that evaluated systemic antibiotics and impregnated-shunt systems. We found no significant differences between the subgroups evaluated: type of shunt (internal/external, ventriculoperitoneal/ventriculoatrial), age and duration of the administration of antibiotics. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: We could demonstrate a benefit of systemic prophylactic antibiotics for the first 24 hours postoperatively to prevent shunt infection, regardless of the patient's age and the type of internal shunt used. The benefit of its use after this period remains uncertain. However this data derives from the rate of shunt infection, which is an intermediary outcome. Future trials should evaluate the effectiveness of different regimens of systemic antibiotics rather than placebo, and should include all-cause mortality, shunt revision and adverse events as additional outcomes. Evidence suggests that antibiotic-impregnated catheters reduce the incidence of shunt infection although more well-designed clinical trials testing the effect of antibiotic-impregnated shunts are required to confirm their net benefit.

Antibiotic prophylaxis for preventing meningitis in patients with basilar skull fractures.

BACKGROUND: Basilar skull fractures (BSF) predispose patients to meningitis because of the possible direct contact of bacteria in the paranasal sinuses, nasopharynx or middle ear with the central nervous system (CNS). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage has been associated with a greater risk of contracting meningitis. Antibiotics are often given prophylactically, although their role for preventing bacterial meningitis is not established. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of prophylactic antibiotics for preventing meningitis in patients with BSF. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library Issue 3, 2005), MEDLINE (1966 to September 2005), EMBASE (1974 to June 2005), and LILACS (1982 to September 2005). We also performed an electronic search of meeting proceedings from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (1997 to September 2005) and handsearched the abstracts of meeting proceedings of the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (1995, 1999 and 2003). SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing any antibiotic versus placebo or no intervention. We also identified non-RCTs to perform a separate meta-analysis to compare results. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: At least two authors independently appraised the quality and extracted the data of each trial. MAIN RESULTS: Five RCTs and 17 non-RCTs comparing different types of antibiotic prophylaxis with placebo or no intervention in patients with BSF were identified. Most trials presented insufficient methodological detail. All studies included meningitis in their primary outcome. Overall, we evaluated 208 participants from the four RCTs that were considered suitable for inclusion in the meta-analysis. There were no significant differences between antibiotic prophylaxis groups and control groups in terms of reduction of the frequency of meningitis, all-cause mortality, meningitis-related mortality, and need for surgical correction in patients with CSF leakage. We performed a subgroup analysis to evaluate the primary outcome in patients with and without CSF leakage. We also completed a meta-analysis of all the identified controlled non-RCTs (enrolling a total of 2168 patients), producing results consistent with the randomised data. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Currently available evidence from RCTs does not support prophylactic antibiotic use in patients with BSF, whether there is evidence of CSF leakage or not. Until more research is completed, the effectiveness of antibiotics in patients with BSF cannot be determined because studies published to date are flawed by biases. Large, appropriately designed RCTs are needed.

Anticonvulsants for preventing seizures in patients with chronic subdural haematoma.

BACKGROUND: Anticonvulsant therapy is sometimes used prophylactically in patients with chronic subdural haematoma, although the benefit is unclear. OBJECTIVES: To establish the effectiveness of prophylactic anticonvulsants in patients with chronic subdural haematoma, for both pre- and post-operative periods. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Injuries Group Specialised Register, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons Database and abstract books of conference proceedings of the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies. We also searched the references of all identified studies. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials comparing any anticonvulsant versus placebo or no intervention. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: No trials met the inclusion criteria for the review. MAIN RESULTS: No randomised, controlled trials were identified. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: No formal recommendations can be made about the use of prophylactic anticonvulsants in patients with chronic subdural haematoma based on the literature currently available. Non-controlled studies came up with conflicting results. There is an urgent need for well-designed randomised controlled trials.