EVD Set Components: A Checklist for Nurses and Hospital Buyers

A complete EVD set covers the whole path from ventricle to bag. DESU’s EVD-010 has a 31 cm ventricular catheter (1.5 mm inner, 3.0 mm outer diameter), a 60 cm reinforced line with locking mechanism, a 30 cm mmHg/cmH₂O scale, a 150 ml drip chamber, an 800 ml air-filtered bag, two three-way connectors and a hydrophobic filter. EVD-020 uses the same system with a ventricular or lumbar catheter.

The checklist below serves two readers: the ICU or theatre nurse opening a set before a drain is placed, and the hospital buyer writing a specification or checking that two offers are really comparable. Both DESU systems are described on our EVD sets page.

What does a complete EVD set include?

An external ventricular drainage set is more than a catheter. It is a chain of components, each with its own job, and a missing or mismatched link means improvising at the bedside. The table below sets the two DESU systems side by side, component by component.

How do EVD-010 and EVD-020 differ?

The drainage system is the same in both: the same line, scale, drip chamber, bag, connectors and filter. The difference is the patient side. The EVD-010 Series is built around its 31 cm ventricular catheter. The EVD-020 Series is used with either a ventricular or a lumbar catheter, so one drainage system can serve both routes.

For a department, that means one set of drainage components for staff to learn, whichever route the surgeon chooses. For a distributor-level view of how the two systems fit together in a range, see our EVD-010 vs EVD-020 line-up.

What should a nurse check before set-up?

These checks confirm that the right set is complete and intact. Assembly, priming, levelling and connection follow the instructions for use (IFU) and the unit’s own protocol.

• Right system: EVD-010 or EVD-020, and for EVD-020 the catheter route (ventricular or lumbar) matches the order.
• Right catheter version: standard catheters are white, antibiotic-impregnated catheters are orange. Confirm the version the surgeon asked for.
• Package intact, label legible, use-by date in range, lot number recorded as hospital policy requires.
• Every component present: catheter, 60 cm line, 30 cm scale, drip chamber, drainage bag, two three-way connectors, hydrophobic filter.
• No visible damage: no cracks in the chamber, no tears in the bag, no kinks or flattening in the line.
• Locking mechanism on the line works as the IFU describes.
• Scale legible in the unit in which the drainage order is written, mmHg or cmH₂O.
• The IFU is at hand, not filed away.

Stopcock positions deserve their own attention, because a connector turned the wrong way changes where CSF can and cannot go. Our article on EVD clamp and stopcock handling covers that in detail.

Why does each component matter at the bedside?

Catheter

The catheter is the only part inside the patient, and its dimensions are what the surgeon checks first. On EVD-010 they are fixed: 31 cm long, 1.5 mm inner and 3.0 mm outer diameter. The antibiotic-impregnated version has the antibiotic impregnated into the catheter material, released in a controlled manner over 28 days. Whether to use it is the surgeon’s decision.

Reinforced line and locking mechanism

The 60 cm line carries CSF from the catheter to the scale and chamber. A connection that stays locked matters on a drain that may stay in place for days while the patient is turned, examined and sometimes transported.

Measuring scale

The 30 cm scale is the reference against which the drainage level is set and read. Carrying both mmHg and cmH₂O lets staff read the scale in the unit used in the order, rather than converting at the bedside. The level itself is always set by the clinician’s order and the IFU.

Drip chamber and drainage bag

The 150 ml drip chamber receives CSF at the set level, where staff can see it. The 800 ml air-filtered bag collects what passes through. Bag volume matters to nursing workload and to change-out planning, so it belongs in any comparison.

Three-way connectors and hydrophobic filter

Two three-way connectors give the team defined points at which flow can be directed or closed, according to protocol. The hydrophobic filter is part of the closed system. Both should be checked for presence and integrity, never assumed.

What should a buyer put in the specification?

A tender that names components by function and dimension is fairer and easier to evaluate than one that names a brand. Using the DESU systems as a worked example, a specification could ask for:

• Ventricular catheter dimensions: length, inner and outer diameter.
• Option of a lumbar catheter on the same drainage system, if the hospital uses lumbar drainage.
• Standard and antibiotic-impregnated catheter versions, and how they are told apart.
• Reinforced connection line, its length and a locking mechanism.
• Measuring scale length and the pressure units shown.
• Drip chamber volume and drainage bag volume, and whether the bag is air-filtered.
• Number of three-way connectors and presence of a hydrophobic filter.
• Quality documentation: CE marking, ISO 13485 certificate, IFU and label samples.

It also helps to request one sample set and lay it out against the specification before scoring. Comparing physical sets against a written list catches differences that two product pages hide.

What is not on the component list?

The table covers the catheter and drainage system of EVD-010 and EVD-020. Anything else a unit relies on, such as insertion instruments, skin preparation, dressings or the way the scale is fixed at the bedside, should be checked against the label and the IFU, or planned from hospital stock. Assuming an item is in the box is how a set-up stalls at the worst moment.

A short laminated list next to the stock, matching the table above, is often enough to keep everyone working from the same picture.

Talk to a DESU product specialist

If you are building a specification, comparing offers or preparing a nursing in-service for EVD-010 or EVD-020, our product specialists can provide documentation and samples. Write to sales@desu.tr, use the contact page, or request a quote.