Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Home Guide A ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt is a small, plastic tube used to drain fluid from your brain and into a sac in your belly (peritoneum). The peritoneum absorbs this fluid and gets rid of it. Normally, the brain releases the fluid that cushions the brain and spine (cerebrospinal fluid, CSF). The brain then reabsorbs it through drainage channels. If your brain's drainage channels are not working properly, fluid builds up in your brain and needs to be redirected with a shunt. You may need a VP shunt if you have too much CSF inside your brain (hydrocephalus). Your health care provider determines how much fluid needs to be drained and adjusts the settings on the shunt. Some shunt settings cannot be changed once they are set (nonprogrammable shunt). Others can be adjusted (programmable shunt) by your health care provider. You may feel the tube behind your ear and under your skin where it passes down your neck, chest, and into your belly. …show more content…
When you have a shunt, you need to take certain precautions and be aware of signs that may indicate a problem with the shunt.
After your shunt is placed, it is important to have the following information with you: The contact information for the surgeon who placed your shunt. The name and type of VP shunt you have. WHEN WILL I HAVE MY SHUNT REMOVED? Your shunt may be temporary or permanent, depending on your condition. For some people, a VP shunt is a lifelong device. WHAT PRECAUTIONS MUST I FOLLOW? Contact your health care provider if you have a programmable shunt and need to get an MRI for any reason. This is very important because many programmable shunts are sensitive to magnets. Let your health care provider know about your shunt before you have surgery, especially abdominal surgery. You may need to take antibiotic medicines before having a procedure. Do not wear tight-fitting hats or
headgear. Ask your health care provider which activities are safe for you. WHAT ARE THE WARNING SIGNS OF A SHUNT MALFUNCTION? A VP shunt can malfunction or become clogged. If the shunt is not working properly, it will not drain the cerebrospinal fluid. This can cause an increase in brain pressure. It is important to know the warning signs of a shunt malfunction because they can start suddenly. Warning signs of a malfunction include: Headache that gets worse over time. Vomiting without cause. Feeling sleepier than usual. Loss of appetite. Low energy. Irritability. Personality change or confusion. Vision changes, such as blurry vision, double vision, or loss of vision. Swelling of the skin that runs along the path of the shunt. A return of your original symptoms. Trouble walking. Inability to control the bladder (urinary incontinence). Having a seizure. WHAT ARE THE WARNING SIGNS OF A SHUNT INFECTION? If bacteria get into the tissue around the shunt, you can develop an infection. This can cause the shunt to stop working properly. Watch for signs of infection, such as: Fever. Redness or swelling of the skin along the shunt path. Pain around the shunt or shunt tubing. Headache or stiff neck. Nausea or vomiting. WHEN SHOULD I SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL CARE? When you have a VP shunt, seek medical care right away if: You are sleepier than usual or have trouble waking up. You vomit for no reason. You have a fever. You notice redness or swelling along the shunt path. You have a headache that is getting worse. You start to twitch or shake (seizure). You develop vision problems. You lose coordination or balance. You become irritable or start to behave abnormally.
When the liquid level is above the calibration line on the pipette, remove the bulb quickly and put your thumb or index finger over the pipette. Carefully “roll” finger to the side and allow the liquid to drop until the meniscus is level with the mark. Then hold the pipette over the flask to receive the liquid and remove the finger. Allow the liquid to drain out.
...lood pressure medication in order to keep his blood pressure in the normal state of 120/80. Other than taking medications, there is another alternative such as surgery, such as “ventriculosmy, craniotomy, and carotid endarterectomy” (Kluwer, 2012). The patient also has the option of going to a rehabilitation center where the patient may be able to receive speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy. In addition, the rehabilitation center may also include “functional electrical stimulation” (Kluwer, 2012).
...eye fluid to leave the eye. The new channel helps to lower the eye pressure. Surgery will be recommended only if your ophthalmologist feels the benefit of a lower eye pressure achieved with an operation outweighs possible complications and/or further progression of optic nerve damage.
Venous thromboembolism, otherwise known as VTE is a chronic condition, which is comprised of pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Development of protocols that restrict catheter placement can serve as a constant reminder for providers about the correct use of catheters and provide alternatives to indwelling catheter use (Meddings et al. 2013). The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secon Alternatives to indwelling catheter include condom catheter, or intermittent straight catheterization. One of the protocols used in this study is urinary retention protocols. This protocol integrates the use of a portable bladder ultrasound to verify urinary retention prior to catheterization. In addition, it recommends using intermittent catheterization to solve temporary issues rather than using indwelling catheters.
than 9 square centimeters, was placed on the patient's chest at various angles. The transducer delivered ultrasound waves into the body and these
I haven’t always wanted to be a cardiac sonographer. The desire to be in this career just started to spark an interest in me a couple years back. You see, since I was a little girl I had always dreamt of becoming an architect or an interior designer. At first, the design aspect of that occupation interested me greatly. My dream started to fall short when I realized that a job like this would require me to make a move to a bigger city and that is something that I do not wish to pursue. This meant it was time to find another path to go down and reconfigure my future.
...s operated by a magnet there will be a lot of artifact because of the metal being inside the patient. There has also been a discovery of the contrast used in certain MRI exams can cause severe kidney damage. This is a rare effect and only happens to about five percent of patients that receive an MRI ("About mri scans," 2014).
There has yet to be a cure for Hydrocephalus, but there are indeed treatments. Although, not many advances have been made in preventing, healing, or moderating Hydrocephalus. In fact, the device currently used as the dominant treatment was pronounced fifty years ago and has had the highest failure rates in comparison to any surgical remedy. Introducing said regimen, The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (2013) explains, “Hydrocephalus is most often treated by surgically inserting a shunt system.” This operation revolves around the embedding of two catheters along with a valve. The valve influences the flow of CSF to generate an increasingly normal rate and direction. As an alternative, there is a procedure labeled as a ventriculostomy in which a hole is made in the underlying area of a ventricle or in between the ventricles. This functions as a funnel for the CSF to exit the cranial area. These methods are customarily permanent and must be monitored
The cavity is the space surrounding the intestines and internal organs, such as the stomach. The PD catheter is inserted surgically below the belly button to allow fluid to be instilled into the peritoneal cavity, thereby allowing diffusion to occur naturally between the capillaries in the peritoneal lining and the fluid, which is called a dialysate.... ... middle of paper ... ... HD patients are aware of the risk of access infections, but tend to rely on the clinic nurse to recognize and treat the infection.
...f the clamps on the tubing to allow the IV solution to run freely. Slowly, decrease the flow of the solution to the appropriate rate as ordered by the physician. Using a small gauze pad, wipe away any excess blood or fluid on the surface of the skin. Then, using the pre-torn pieces of tape, secure the catheter hub and the IV tubing to the patient’s skin. Take extra caution not to kink the tubing. Once everything is secured, recheck the IV solution’s flow and then attend to the rest of your patients needs.
...ave large diameter to give least flow resistance. It has valves to prevent low pressure blood flowing backwards.
fluid for you. You can check the count on a hemacytometer if you want, but no one does
other organs, the parenchymal flow in the brain is controlled entirely outside of the organ. Two-thirds of the vascular resistance in the brain is due to large cerebral arteries and pial vessels [4]; non-pial vessels are responsible for the remaining one-third of vas- cular resistance [4].