Relation between trend of temperature changes and intracranial infection after ventriculoperitoneal shunt

Objective To observe the trend of temperature changes after ventriculoperitoneal shunt and its relation with postoperative infection. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 272 patients underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt in our hospital from January 2015 to December 2018. Patients were divided into infected group and non-infected group according to whether intracranial infection occurred after surgery. According to the occurring time of postoperative intracranial infection, patients were divided into early infection group and delayed infection group. Temperature levels of all patients were monitored on the surgery day, and on the first, 3rd, 5th and 7th d of surgery, and the temperature changes and fever rate of the two groups were compared. Results Among 272 patients, intracranial infection occurred in 25 (9.19%), including 21 with early infection and 4 with delayed infection, and un-infection in 247 (90.81%). As compared with those in the non-infected group, the fever rate and body temperature of the infected group were significantly higher on the 3rd, 5th and 7th d after surgery (P 0.05). Conclusions The fever rate is higher and the body temperature decreases faster after ventriculoperitoneal shunt. The fever since the third d of surgery is closely related to postoperative intracranial infection, which has a certain predictive significance for postoperative infection, so we should consider anti-infection treatment in time. Key words: Postoperative body temperature; Ventriculoperitoneal shunt; Intracranial infection