To evaluate the value of the correlation coefficient between the ICP wave amplitude and the mean ICP level (RAP) and the resistance to CSF outflow (Rout) in predicting the outcome of patients with post-traumatic hydrocephalus (PTH) selected for shunting.
As a training set, a total of 191 patients with PTH treated with VP shunting were retrospectively analyzed to evaluate the potential predictive value of Rout, collected from pre-therapeutic CSF infusion test, for a desirable recovery level (dRL), standing for the modified rankin scale (mRS) of 0–2. Eventually, there were 70 patients with PTH prospectively included as a validation set to evaluate the value of Rout-combined RAP as a predictor of dRL. We calculated Rout from a CSF infusion test and collected RAP during continuous external lumbar drainage (ELD). Maximum RAP (RAPmax) and its changes relative to the baseline (ΔRAPmax%) served as specific parameters of evaluation.
In the training set, Rout was proved to be a significant predictor of dRL to shunting, with the area under the curve (AUC) of 0.686 (
Both RAP and Rout can predict desirable recovery level (dRL) to shunting in patients with PTH in the early phases of treatment. A RAP-combined Rout is a better dRL predictor for a good outcome to shunting. These findings help the neurosurgeon predict the probability of dRL and facilitate the optimization of the individual treatment plan in the event of ineffective or unessential shunting.