External ventricular drainage is frequently used in neurocritical care, particularly in patients admitted for non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage who develop hydrocephalus and/or intracranial hypertension. While external ventricular drainage is often initially lifesaving, its prolonged maintenance is associated with complications, especially infections and prolonged hospital length of stay. There is currently no consensus on the optimal weaning strategy. Two approaches are used in routine practice: direct clamping (the external ventricular drain is closed as soon as weanability criteria are met) and gradual weaning (the external ventricular drain level is progressively raised before final clamping). No randomized controlled trial has yet demonstrated the superiority of one strategy over the other in patients with non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage. The investigators hypothesize that a direct clamping strategy, combined with daily screening of standardized weanability criteria, will reduce the duration of external ventricular drain maintenance compared with the conventional gradual weaning strategy. SEVDVE-2 is a multicenter, randomized, controlled, parallel-group, single-blind superiority trial that will compare these two weaning strategies in 170 adult patients admitted to critical care for non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage with a first external ventricular drain inserted within the previous 3 days. Patients will be randomized 1:1, stratified on the presence of an intraventricular hematoma. The primary outcome is the number of external ventricular drain-free days alive at Day 28.
Age range
18 Years
Sex
ALL
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
Number of external ventricular drain-free days alive at Day 28
Timeframe: 28 days after inclusion