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Child Has Shunts For Meningitis. Can He Live Without Shunts?
Hello doctor, this is Roopa mother of 4 year old kid, my kid was born at 29 weeks and got hydrocephalus when he was 2 months old that was post meningitis , he is living with 2 vp shunts, and had 2 revisions on either side of his head last 2 months back he had severe vomiting , fever and headache and was diagnised with infection in CSF and both his vp shunts have been removed and was treated for 21 days of antibiotic and now he is very active like before but he is living with no shunts from past 20 days he is absolutely normal and very active. My doubt is whether he can live without shunts or is it required my neurosurgeon said that we will keep a watch on the kid next week am geeting a CT scan done for my kid , please reply me am very confused.
posted on
Sat, 6 Oct 2012
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Thu, 11 Oct 2012
Answered on
Thu, 11 Oct 2012
Last reviewed on
Hi Roopa,
Your doctor is correct in waitingand watching the child.
There are 3 ways to assess
1-measure head circumference and look for unusual increase in size
2-CT assess ment for ventriucular dilatation
3 clinical assessment by vomiting low heart rate etc
He may manage if it is post meningitic!
All the best
Your doctor is correct in waitingand watching the child.
There are 3 ways to assess
1-measure head circumference and look for unusual increase in size
2-CT assess ment for ventriucular dilatation
3 clinical assessment by vomiting low heart rate etc
He may manage if it is post meningitic!
All the best
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good morning, see the functions of the shunt is basically help in draining the CSF down its path and back, and r instilled in subjects having a block in this path due to any reason. in ur kids case it is due to post meningitis. he is even having hydrocephalus, so what i feel is after a thorough examination by the neurosurgeon and after a series of tests , the requirement of shunt can be decided. if there is a block again in the path way , then he ll surely require a shunt to be placed again.
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