Treatment of premature babies with posthemorrhagic hydrocephaly in obstetric and second-stage nursing institutions
Posthemorrhagic hydrocephaly in premature babies manifests itself on the third day of life when cerebrospinal fluid shunting cannot be made because of their serious condition. The results of treatment in 265 premature babies with posthemorrhagic hydrocephaly were studied to clarify the efficiency of methods for temporary relief of intracranial hypertension. The study has indicated that lumbar puncture and ventriculosubgaleal drainage were an optimal method in communicating and non-communicating hydrocephaly, respectively. The above methods made it possible to normalize intracranial pressure for the time required to prepare a patient for shunt placement and to achieve final hydrocephaly relief in 38,5% in communicating hydrocephaly and in 14,3% in non-communicating hydrocephaly.