What causes the neck to keep getting infected? This is my 3rd trip to er for infection at neck where the stitches are. Does anybody have any idea what keeps causing the infections my dr doesn't?

Sorry,I don't know the answer to your question,however,it may have to do with the shunt tubing in the neck...Sorry no help Kristin

PS. Stick around,great people here.

Hi, sorry to hear it keeps getting infected.

Each time its got infected...ideally you should of had your shunt removed, been put on an EVD, put on antibiotics until the infection is completely clear, then had a new shunt put in place.

I was always told by my neurosurgeon, ''An infection, no matter how big or how small, is an infection, and all infections are treated the same.''

The fact that your infection keeps coming back, may be down to the infection having already spread, therefore once a bit has cleared up, a bit that hasnt has travelled down the tube to your neck wound again making it visible.

I may be completely wrong, but it seems possible.

Good luck and i hope this clears up soon, best wishes

Thanks for the welcome. I never knew there was so many people living with shunts. Up until last month I had never heard of shunts.

Thanks for info but what is an EVD? I keep going to the dr one gives me antibiotics one takes me off of them I'm confused. Now I have to wait until Friday to go back in the mean time I have blood and stuff coming out my wound. It's just frustrating. I go from jumping out of airplanes to not being able to leave the bed. Not fun. Sorry just alittle down right now.

Hi, an EVD is an external shunt. The internal infected shunt being removed and replaced by one that goes into the head as any shunt but then is threaded out of the skin and connected upto a bag to collect it.

Are these doctors youve been seeing, GPs or your neurosurgeons, you should be dealing with your neurosurgeon or consultant with any wound infection form your shunt. Right away if you havent seen him/her.

Best of luck x

I've gone to both gp and neurosurgeon and both seem to brush me off. In the meen time my neck is swollen and stuff coming out of it but hey it's all in my head. I guess I'll start looking for a better dr.