Lumbar Drainage Catheter Kit: Components and EVD-020 Connection

The DESU lumbar drainage catheter kit contains an 80 cm radiopaque silicone catheter, 0.8 mm inner and 1.6 mm outer diameter, with tantalum marks from 5 to 20 cm and 24 drainage holes, plus a Tuohy needle, guidewire, angled trocar, Luer Lock connector, distal cap and fixation part. Its distal end connects to an external drainage system such as EVD-020.

The kit is part of the DESU range of neurosurgical catheters and is used alongside DESU EVD sets. Technique, including needle placement, catheter depth and drainage settings, belongs to the treating team and the instructions for use (IFU).

What is external lumbar drainage?

External lumbar drainage removes cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the lumbar subarachnoid space into a collection system outside the body. Unlike a shunt, it is temporary: the catheter leaves the body through the skin and is connected to a drainage set with a pressure scale, a drip chamber and a bag. The amount drained is controlled at the bedside rather than by an implanted valve.

When lumbar drainage is chosen over ventricular drainage, and for how long, is a clinical decision. Our article on lumbar drainage vs ventricular drainage compares the two routes.

What is in the lumbar drainage catheter kit?

The kit combines one catheter with the components needed to introduce it, route it and connect it. The table gives each item’s purpose.

Why does the catheter have tantalum marks and 24 holes?

Tantalum length marks run at every centimeter from 5 to 20 cm. Because tantalum is radiopaque, the marks can be seen on imaging as well as by eye, and they give the team a reference for how much catheter has been introduced and whether it has moved since. The catheter material is radiopaque silicone, so its course can also be followed under imaging.

The proximal drainage zone has 24 holes arranged in four rows of six. This is the section that lies in the thecal sac and takes in CSF. The 0.8 mm inner and 1.6 mm outer diameter keep the catheter slim enough for percutaneous introduction through a needle.

What does each application component do?

Tuohy needle and guidewire

The Tuohy needle has a curved tip, a design widely used for spinal access because it helps direct a catheter along the spinal canal. The catheter is soft silicone, so the guidewire gives it temporary support while it is advanced. How far the catheter is introduced, and how the guidewire is handled, are set out in the IFU and decided by the surgeon.

Angled trocar

A trocar is a pointed instrument used to pass a catheter beneath the skin. Tunneling places the skin exit at a distance from the puncture site. Whether to tunnel, and over what distance, is the surgeon’s choice.

Luer Lock connector and distal cap

A Luer Lock is a threaded small-bore connection that locks in place rather than relying on a push fit. In this kit it joins the distal end of the catheter to the external drainage line. The distal cap closes the distal end when it is not connected, so the catheter is not left open.

Fixation part

A long external catheter is exposed to pulling during nursing care, imaging and patient transfers. The fixation part helps hold the catheter in position. Dressing and securement practice follows the IFU and local nursing protocols.

How does the catheter connect to the EVD-020 system?

The kit supplies the patient side of the pathway; the external drainage system supplies measurement and collection. EVD-020 is a DESU external drainage system used with a ventricular or a lumbar catheter. It includes:

• A 60 cm reinforced connection line with a locking mechanism.
• A 30 cm graduated pressure measuring scale reading in mmHg and cmH₂O.
• A 150 ml drip chamber.
• An 800 ml drainage bag with an air filter.
• Two three-way connectors and a hydrophobic filter.

CSF enters the drainage holes in the thecal sac, runs along the 80 cm catheter, passes the Luer Lock connection into the reinforced line, and reaches the drip chamber on the measuring scale before collecting in the bag. The three-way connectors give access points along the line, and the filters allow venting while the system stays closed. Connection order, leveling and zeroing follow the IFU of both products.

EVD-020 is itself offered with ventricular or lumbar catheter options. Whether a department orders the lumbar configuration of EVD-020 or pairs the stand-alone catheter kit with its drainage system is worth settling with our product specialists when the product list is set up. For how one collection system serves both routes, see EVD-020 with a lumbar catheter.

Standard or antibiotic-impregnated catheter?

The kit is available with a standard or an antibiotic-impregnated catheter of the same dimensions. In DESU antibiotic-impregnated catheters, the antibiotic is impregnated into the catheter material and released in a controlled manner over 28 days. Antibiotic-impregnated catheters are orange and standard catheters are white, which makes the two easy to tell apart during setup. The choice is made by the surgeon, in line with hospital protocols.

How is it different from the lumbar catheter kit for shunting?

The lumbar catheter kit is for lumboperitoneal shunting. Its catheter is 100 cm long, becomes part of an implanted pathway, and comes with a 14 G Tuohy needle, a guidewire and a fixation part. The lumbar drainage kit has a shorter 80 cm catheter with the same diameters and adds the angled trocar, Luer Lock connector and distal cap needed for external drainage. Quoting the catheter length with the product name avoids ordering the wrong kit.

Talk to a DESU product specialist

For product codes, IFU copies or help configuring the lumbar drainage catheter kit with EVD-020, contact our product specialists at sales@desu.tr, through the contact page, or request a quote.