Schaumburg, Illinois, October 28, 2020 —The Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) has developed an update to its evidence-based guideline for the treatment of patients with pediatric hydrocephalus. An executive summary of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons Systematic Review and Evidence-Based Guidelines on the Treatment of Pediatric Hydrocephalus: Update of the 2014 Guidelines was published today in Neurosurgery. Other relevant information can also be found on the CNS website.
Dr. David F. Bauer, MD, MPH, the AANS/CNS Pediatric Section Guidelines Committee Chair states he is pleased with the quality of the work in this update. The original guidelines published in 2014 were based on a literature review between January 1966 and March 2012. In accordance with the Institute of Medicine’s recommended best practice of reviewing guidelines every 5 years, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons is committed to ensuring timeliness and accuracy for its guidelines.
The authors performed an updated literature search for each guideline chapter using the search terms from the original guideline, updating the search through November 30, 2019. As a result, the following updates were made to existing recommendations:
Part 2: New evidence allowed authors to develop a new recommendation. The new recommendation is a Level III recommendation, which states that neuro-endoscopic lavage is a feasible and safe option for the removal of intraventricular clots and may lower the rate of shunt placement.
Part 7: New evidence warranted an upgrade in the level of the recommendation to a Level I. The recommendation now states that antibiotic-impregnated shunt tubing reduces the risk of shunt infection compared with conventional silicone hardware and should be used for children who require placement of a shunt.
This update was developed by the CNS and endorsed by the CNS and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.