Antibiotic-Impregnated Peritoneal Catheters Explained

Antibiotic-impregnated peritoneal catheters: DESU’s orange 120 cm silicone catheter, 28-day controlled release, how it compares and which kits include it.

An antibiotic-impregnated peritoneal catheter is the distal catheter of a shunt, with an antibiotic impregnated into the material and released in a controlled manner over 28 days. The DESU version is an orange silicone catheter, 120 cm long, with a 1.1 mm inner and 2.5 mm outer diameter, otherwise matching the standard white peritoneal catheter.

Key takeaways

• The DESU antibiotic-impregnated peritoneal catheter is 120 cm long, with 1.1 mm inner and 2.5 mm outer diameter, the same as the standard version.
• The antibiotic is impregnated into the material and released in a controlled manner over 28 days.
• Impregnated catheters are orange and standard catheters white; the stand-alone codes are ASPCK and SPCK.
• It is offered alone and in VP and LP catheter kits and shunt kits, and the choice belongs to the surgeon and hospital protocol.

It is one of the DESU antibiotic-impregnated catheters and is supplied on its own in the peritoneal catheter kit. For the general comparison across all catheter types, see antibiotic-impregnated vs standard catheters.

What does the peritoneal catheter do in a shunt?

The peritoneal catheter is the distal component of a shunt. It carries cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the valve into the peritoneal cavity, where the fluid is absorbed. It is used at the end of both ventriculoperitoneal (VP) and lumboperitoneal (LP) systems.

It is also the longest catheter in the DESU range at 120 cm. Unlike the ventricular or lumbar catheter, it does not sit in the CSF space itself; it sits downstream of the valve, in the abdomen.

What does “antibiotic-impregnated” mean for this catheter?

The catheter material itself carries the antibiotic: it is impregnated into the silicone, and the controlled release continues for 28 days.

The 28 days is the release period. It is not a clinical outcome.

How does it compare with the standard peritoneal catheter?

The dimensions and construction are the same. What changes is the impregnation, the colour and the order code.

Tantalum length marks sit at every centimetre from the 5th to the 20th on both versions and support length tracking during placement.

What is in the peritoneal catheter kit?

The kit is simply the catheter; there is no valve. That makes it useful when a department wants the distal catheter as its own line item, rather than as part of a complete kit.

When a stand-alone peritoneal catheter is needed is a surgical decision. Ordering SPCK or ASPCK supplies this one component only.

Which DESU products include an impregnated peritoneal catheter?

Impregnated peritoneal catheters appear in several product lines, and the rest of the system varies from one to another.

The ventriculoperitoneal catheter kit pairs impregnated ventricular and peritoneal catheters with a stylet and a right-angled connector. The lumboperitoneal catheter kit and Depus shunts extend the option to LP systems. For the difference between the shunt kit types, see semi-antibiotic vs full-antibiotic shunt kits.

How does it pair with the other catheters?

The peritoneal catheter is the same on both routes, so what changes is the catheter it works with upstream of the valve.

In the impregnated VP catheter kit, both catheters are impregnated. In the LP catheter kit, the lumbar catheter is impregnated and the peritoneal catheter is an antibiotic-impregnated option, so check which catheters are impregnated in the exact code you order.

Who decides whether to use one?

Shunt infection is a recognised complication of CSF shunting, and hospitals take different approaches to it. Whether a patient receives an impregnated catheter is a decision for the surgeon and the hospital’s protocol, following the instructions for use (IFU).

For purchasing teams, the 28-day release is a product description to record in the specification.

How can staff tell the versions apart?

The colour difference is the quickest check, and it works in the theatre as well as in the store room. Three points help prevent a mix-up:

• Colour: orange is antibiotic-impregnated, white is standard.
• Code: ASPCK is the impregnated stand-alone catheter, SPCK the standard one.
• Configuration: in a complete kit, confirm which components are impregnated, because semi-antibiotic and full-antibiotic kits differ in the valve body, not in the catheter colour.

Storing the two versions in clearly separated, labelled positions supports the same check at the point of picking. On an order or tender, list them as separate lines with their own codes, so that a standard catheter cannot stand in for an impregnated one by accident.

Talk to a DESU product specialist

For codes, kit configurations or IFU copies for antibiotic-impregnated peritoneal catheters, contact our product specialists at sales@desu.tr, through the contact page, or request a quote.

Frequently asked questions

Does the 28-day release limit how long the catheter can stay in place?

The 28-day figure describes how long the controlled release continues, not how long the catheter may stay in use. That follows the IFU and the surgeon’s direction.

Can an impregnated peritoneal catheter be used with a standard ventricular catheter?

Both catheters are sold separately, so the components exist. Which combination is used is a surgical decision. If you need a specific configuration as one kit, tell us and we will confirm which codes are available.

Does impregnation change the drainage holes?

No. Our impregnated catheters have the same drainage holes as the standard versions. On the peritoneal catheter, the holes are arranged along four rows.

Related standards

• ISO 13485: Medical devices — Quality management systems
• ISO 10993 series: Biological evaluation of medical devices