🖼️ Catheter Types

Photo library of EVD devices and systems

A reference catalog of EVD catheter types and coatings. Click a category to expand it.

catheterTypes = {
  const { initializeApp, getApps, getApp } = await import("https://www.gstatic.com/firebasejs/10.14.1/firebase-app.js");
  const { getFirestore, collection, onSnapshot } = await import("https://www.gstatic.com/firebasejs/10.14.1/firebase-firestore.js");

  const firebaseConfig = {
    apiKey: "AIzaSyD1FLnIrd86qOsFPLi5y1q_EIU0lhL5gxc",
    authDomain: "evdtoolkit.firebaseapp.com",
    projectId: "evdtoolkit",
    storageBucket: "evdtoolkit.firebasestorage.app",
    messagingSenderId: "1002374431151",
    appId: "1:1002374431151:web:fe3724bb1f39eb4744af5a"
  };

  const app = getApps().length ? getApp() : initializeApp(firebaseConfig);
  const db = getFirestore(app);

  // Live listener — updates automatically whenever EVDTypes
  // changes in Firestore, no page reload needed.
  return Generators.observe(notify => {
    const unsubscribe = onSnapshot(collection(db, "EVDTypes"), snapshot => {
      notify(snapshot.docs.map(d => d.data()));
    });
    return unsubscribe;
  });
}

// Semantic color, not arbitrary: antimicrobial-impregnated catheters
// are the preferred choice (green); non-antimicrobial is red as a
// visual nudge toward the preferred option. Check the "non-" case
// FIRST since "Non-antimicrobial" also contains the substring
// "antimicrobial" and would otherwise false-match as green.
// Other coating categories (e.g. antithrombogenic) sit on a different
// axis entirely -- not "avoid", just a different property -- so they
// get a neutral blue rather than falling into the same red bucket.
function categoryColor(name) {
  const lower = name.toLowerCase();
  if (/non[\s-]?antimicrobial/.test(lower)) return "#e74c3c";
  if (/antimicrobial/.test(lower)) return "#27ae60";
  if (/antithrombogenic|thrombo/.test(lower)) return "#2c7be5";
  return "#8e44ad";
}

// Curated clinical pearls per catheter category. Add more entries here
// as categories/facts are provided — categories without an entry just
// won't show a pearls callout.
categoryPearls = ({
  "Antimicrobial impregnated": [
    "Antimicrobial-impregnated catheters have been shown to reduce the rate of ventriculostomy-related infections (VRI).",
    "Commonly coated with agents such as rifampicin and clindamycin, or minocycline and rifampin.",
    "Device choice is one element of infection prevention — full bundle compliance (sterile technique, minimizing access, etc.) still matters most."
  ]
})

groupedTypes = {
  const groups = new Map();
  catheterTypes.forEach(t => {
    const key = t.category ?? "Uncategorized";
    if (!groups.has(key)) groups.set(key, []);
    groups.get(key).push(t);
  });
  return [...groups.entries()].sort((a, b) => a[0].localeCompare(b[0]));
}

html`<div>
  ${groupedTypes.map(([category, items]) => {
    const color = categoryColor(category);
    const pearls = categoryPearls[category];
    return `
      <details class="fs-accordion">
        <summary class="fs-accordion-summary" style="background:${color};">
          <span class="fs-accordion-name">${category}</span>
          <span class="fs-accordion-count">${items.length}</span>
        </summary>
        <div class="fs-accordion-body">
          ${pearls ? `
            <div class="callout-pearl" style="margin-top:14px;">
              <strong>💡 Key Knowledge Pearls</strong>
              <ul style="margin:8px 0 0; padding-left:20px;">
                ${pearls.map(p => `<li style="margin-bottom:4px;">${p}</li>`).join("")}
              </ul>
            </div>
          ` : ""}
          <div class="fs-grid" style="margin-top:14px;">
            ${items.map(t => `
              <div class="fs-card">
                ${t.imageURL ? `<img class="fs-card-image" src="${t.imageURL}" onerror="this.style.display='none'" onclick="fsOpenLightbox(this.src)" onload="fsClassifyImage(this)" />` : ""}
                <div class="fs-card-body">
                  <h4 class="fs-card-title">${t.title ?? "Untitled"}</h4>
                  <p class="fs-card-desc">${t.description ?? ""}</p>
                  ${(t.source ?? t.contributor) ? `<span class="fs-source">📎 ${t.source ?? t.contributor}</span>` : ""}
                </div>
              </div>
            `).join("")}
          </div>
        </div>
      </details>
    `;
  }).join("")}
</div>`

Tip

Clinical Pearl: Catheter choice is one piece of the puzzle — see the full Infection Prevention Bundle for the complete picture.

Note

Further reading — antimicrobial vs. standard catheters:

Zabramski JM, Whiting D, Darouiche RO, et al. Efficacy of antimicrobial-impregnated external ventricular drain catheters: a prospective, randomized, controlled trial. Journal of Neurosurgery. 2003 Apr. PMID: 12691395

Wang X, Dong Y, Qi XQ, et al. Clinical review: Efficacy of antimicrobial-impregnated catheters in external ventricular drainage — a systematic review and meta-analysis. Critical Care. 2013 Jul 25. PMID: 23890254

Blacker SN, Prabhakar H, Moreton EO, et al. Effect of Bundled Care on External Ventricular Drain Infections: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Journal of Neurosurgical Anesthesiology. 2025 Nov 17. PMID: 41243982

Note

Further reading — antithrombogenic catheter coatings:

Fiani B, Jarrah R. An early analysis of Codman® CerebroFlo® Endexo coated ventricular catheters in the setting of intraventricular hemorrhage. Journal of Neurosurgical Sciences. 2022 Feb. PMID: 34545731

Liu L, Yu H, Wang L, et al. Heparin-network-mediated long-lasting coatings on intravascular catheters for adaptive antithrombosis and antibacterial infection. Nature Communications. 2024 Jan 2. PMID: 38167880