Abstract:ObjectiveTo observe the clinical effect of lumbar cistern drainage combined with intrathecal injection of meropenem for the treatment of postoperative intracranial infection in patients with endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery so as to provide guidance for effective clinical treatment.MethodsClinical data of 30 patients suffering from intracranial infection after endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery treated in our hospital from June 2002 to June 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. They were divided into control group and drainage group according to the treatment method. 18 patients in the control group were given intravenous injection of meropenem only while 12 in the drainage group received additional lumbar cistern drainage combined with intrathecal injection of meropenem on the basis of the control group. The clinical therapeutic effects including white blood count and biochemical indexes in cerebrospinal fluid as well as the cure rate were observed and compared between the two groups.ResultsOn the third day and one week of treatment, the white blood cell counts and protein concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid were reduced, and the glucose concentrations got elevated in both groups. Nonetheless, the improvement degrees of indicators of the drainage group were higher than those of the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The cure rate of the drainage group was 91.7%, which was significantly higher than that of the control group (77.8%), and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.01). Correspondingly, the mortality of the drainage group was 8.3%, and that of the control group was 22.2%.ConclusionOn the basis of systemic use of meropenem, lumbar cistern drainage combined with intrathecal injection of meropenem can achieve significant clinical effect for the treatment of postoperative intracranial infection in patients with endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery, and therefore dramatically reduce mortality.