TABLE 3.

Shunt externalization data

Factor	Distal Catheter Location		p Value
	Peritoneum	Atrium
No. of cases	25	18
Indication for externalization			0.11
Pseudocyst	11 (44%)	9 (50%)
Abdominal infection*	4 (16%)	0 (0%)
Iatrogenic peritoneal cavity contamination†	3 (12%)	5 (28%)
Untenable peritoneal environment‡	1 (4%)	3 (17%)
Catheter migration§	4 (16%)	0 (0%)
Other¶	2 (8%)	1 (6%)
Bedside externalization	2 (8%)	1 (6%)	>0.99
Simultaneous procedure**	7 (28%)	3 (17%)	0.47
Entire shunt system removal prior to internalization	3 (12%)	1 (6%)	0.63
Duration of externalization (days)	7 (5–11)	8 (6–15)	0.64
Pediatric general surgery assistance w/ reinternalization	17 (68%)	11 (61%)	0.75
Laparoscopic distal catheter replacement	15 (60%)	NA

NA = not applicable.

Values are presented as number (%) of cases or median (IQR) unless otherwise indicated.

^*Two patients had abdominal abscesses, 1 had peritoneal infection secondary to severe pyelonephritis, and 1 had a ruptured appendix.

^†Peritoneal cavity contamination noted during/after urologic procedures (n = 3) and general surgery procedures (n = 5).

^‡Distal catheter malfunctions without evidence of catheter kinking/discontinuity, abdominal pseudocyst, or peritonitis/infection. One patient was treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics under the assumption that a low-grade, culture-negative abdominal infection had caused multiple distal failures; this catheter was replaced into the peritoneum.

^§Migration out of peritoneal cavity into abdominal wall (n = 1), migration of catheter tip into thoracic cavity (n = 2), and erosion of distal catheter into rectum (n = 1).

^¶Abdominal wound dehiscence and presumed distal catheter infection (n = 2) and large ovarian cyst initially thought to represent pseudocyst on imaging workup (n = 1).

^**Any general or urological surgical procedures performed during the same anesthetic exposure in the OR as the shunt externalization procedure.