The authors have retrospectively analyzed 840 cerebrospinal fluid shunting procedures over a 25-year period to determine the relationships between infection rates and several possible influences on infection. Two-thirds of all shunt infections occurred within 1 month of surgery. The very young and very old had higher infection rates. Infections became less prevalent over the period of the study, and mortality from infection decreased from 35% to 6%. Successive shunts (revisions) were found to have progressively higher infection rates. Ventriculoatrial and ventriculoperitoneal silicone plastic shunts had similar infection rates (11.4% and 12.0%). The uncontrolled use of prophylactic antibiotics had no effect on shunt infections. Staphylococcus epidermidis became gradually more prevalent over the period of the study, and eventually caused one-half of all infections. Where infection occurred in the presence of prophylaxis, the infectious organism was usually sensitive to the antibiotic being used. The surgeon was found to be the largest single factor in the incidence of shunt infections. A 25-fold variance in infection rates among surgeons could be related to individual experience and technique.

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