Cerebrospinal fluid shunt or device-associated infection are rare but with a high mortality rate. Mortality was more closely related to the infection than to comorbidity or underlying neurosurgical disease. A second CSF analysis significantly helped to detect patients with device-associated infections with a poor prognosis 1)

Childrens with shunt infections have an increased mortality rate and risk of seizure than those without shunt infection. Those with myelomeningocele who develop ventriculitis after shunting have a lower IQ compared to those without infection 2).

Mortality ranges from 10-15 %.

1)
Zeggay A, Patry I, Chirouze C, Bouiller K. Characteristics and outcomes of Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunt and Drain-Associated infections. Infect Dis Now. 2023 Jan 31:104665. doi: 10.1016/j.idnow.2023.104665. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36736666.
2)
McLone D.G., Czyzewski D., Raimondi A.J.Central nervous system infections as a limiting factor in the intelligence of children with myelomeningocele. Pediatrics, 70 (1982), pp. 338-342.