Biomaterial Database

Cerebrospinal fluid shunts. 1994

K T Jordan

Department of Emergency Medicine, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Texas.

The evaluation of hydrocephalic shunts is a common problem seen in emergency departments. The emergency medicine practitioner must be aware of the various types of apparatus, the functional considerations of the shunt, and the potential complications of obstruction. Shunt malfunction, either from obstruction or infection, can be life-threatening, and a reasonable approach for delineating the underlying problem and its severity is presented. Close involvement of the neurosurgeon is imperative because definitive care is almost always the purview of the consultant.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D002557	Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts	Tubes inserted to create communication between a cerebral ventricle and the internal jugular vein. Their emplacement permits draining of cerebrospinal fluid for relief of hydrocephalus or other condition leading to fluid accumulation in the ventricles.	Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunt,Shunt, Cerebrospinal Fluid,Shunts, Cerebrospinal Fluid
D004630	Emergencies	Situations or conditions requiring immediate intervention to avoid serious adverse results.	Emergency
D004868	Equipment Failure	Failure of equipment to perform to standard. The failure may be due to defects or improper use.	Defects, Equipment,Device Failure,Failure, Equipment,Malfunction, Equipment,Medical Device Failure,Misuse, Equipment,Device Failure, Medical,Device Failures, Medical,Failure, Medical Device,Failures, Medical Device,Defect, Equipment,Device Failures,Equipment Defect,Equipment Defects,Equipment Failures,Equipment Malfunction,Equipment Malfunctions,Equipment Misuse,Equipment Misuses,Failure, Device,Failures, Device,Failures, Equipment,Malfunctions, Equipment,Misuses, Equipment
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man