Shadowing Practice: External Ventricular Drain (EVD) - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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EVD is short for something called an external ventricular drain.
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EVD is short for something called an external ventricular drain.
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In the brain there are these fluid spaces called the ventricles and the ventricles make this thing called cerebral spinal fluid or CSF.
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There are certain circumstances where that fluid that usually is made in the brain and circulates around the brain can be blocked.
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Typically this happens when people have hemorrhage in the brain and hemorrhage in the brain can be caused from a variety of reasons but the main one is aneurysm rupture or high blood pressure hemorrhages.
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If that fluid builds up and it can't circulate or get out, that pressure builds.
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And the pressure can be extremely high to the point where it can actually damage the brain.
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We do this procedure called an external ventricular drain to relieve that pressure.
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So this procedure is typically done in the emergency room or in the neuro ICU.
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Some sedation is given if needed.
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We do some local anesthesia right to the area where we're making the incision.
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A small, about inch long incision is made just behind the hairline.
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And a very small hole is drilled into the skull and a small rubber catheter is placed down into the brain to the fluid space.
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Now the fluid can escape through that tube.
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We usually drain that to a small bag at the patient's bedside.
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Patients are typically in the ICU for many weeks.
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The drainage does a couple of things.
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One is it decreases the pressure in the brain because that fluid is blocked and sort of bypasses the blockage and gets the fluid out of the brain.
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But the other thing is it tends to drain some of the blood that's in the fluid spaces so that blood clears up faster.
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Once the blood reabsorbs, the brain circulation can start up.
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We do this thing called ventriculostomy or EVD weaning.
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And what that means is that we slowly raise the pressure on that drain to see if the patient can absorb their own spinal fluid.
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And if they're able to do that, we can simply remove the drain at the bedside and get the drain out of the patient's head.
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There are about a 20% of patients that we can't successfully wean the drain.
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And the reason for that is there may be too much blood that sort of scarred some of the fluid pathways or it's damaged the absorption mechanism where the fluid gets absorbed.
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And in that situation, then the patient needs a surgical procedure called a VP shunt, or a ventriculoperitoneal shunt.
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And what that is is a small tube like a ventriculostomy drain that drains down to the belly and permanently drains the spinal fluid for the patient.
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We convert that external drain to an internal drain so the patient can go home with it.
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Typically after the ventriculostomy drain has been removed, patients do very, very well.
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There is a small subset of patients that once they get to a rehab hospital or once they get home, can have something called delayed hydrocephalus, or the way to think of it is delayed fluid buildup.
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If they develop signs of increasing headache, if they sort of get more lethargic and they're not waking up as well, and this could be a week or two or even three weeks after,
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it's something they wanna call us about so that we can get a CAT scan and look at the fluid spaces to see if there's that delayed fluid buildup.
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There is a normal follow-up procedure.
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We will get a CAT scan around four weeks.
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That's typically when a lot of this delayed fluid buildup is happening.
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So if we get a CAT scan at four weeks, sometimes we can detect it before it becomes clinically symptomatic and the patients get lethargic.
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We also do a lot of follow up after patients have hemorrhage in the brain.
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Why practice speaking with this video?

Practicing your English speaking skills with the video "External Ventricular Drain (EVD)" offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in medical terminology and procedural language. This context is beneficial not only for those interested in healthcare but also for learners aiming to enhance their technical vocabulary. By repeating the phrases used in the video, you can effectively utilize the shadowing technique, which involves listening to a speaker and attempting to mimic their intonation, rhythm, and pronunciation. This practice is especially useful for developing fluency and confidence in English, making it an excellent resource for IELTS speaking practice.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

Throughout the video, various grammatical structures and expressions are used, which provide excellent material for learners. Here are some key phrases and structures to focus on:

  • Passive voice: "The fluid can be blocked." This construction highlights the focus on the action rather than the subject, which is common in medical contexts.
  • Conditional clauses: "If that fluid builds up and it can't circulate..." Understanding conditionals helps grasp cause-and-effect relationships, which are often seen in explanations of medical procedures.
  • Imperative forms: "Call us about..." This direct request is an important expression for effective communication, particularly in urgent situations.
  • Future intent: "We will get a CAT scan..." This usage is critical for discussing plans or predictions, key in any professional or everyday conversational context.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While practicing, pay particular attention to certain words and phrases that can pose pronunciation challenges. Here are some highlighted terms from the video:

  • Aneurysm: The "aneu-" syllable can often trip up learners. Practice enunciating it slowly: ah-NEH-ruh-zuhm.
  • Hematoma: This word, which refers to a localized collection of blood outside of blood vessels, can be tricky. Break it down: hee-mah-TOH-muh.
  • Ventricular: Focus on the "ven-TRIK-yuh-lar" pronunciation so that it flows smoothly in conversation.

By actively engaging with these aspects in your practice, you can improve your comprehension and speaking abilities. Utilizing resources like YouTube videos is an effective method to learn English with YouTube, and incorporating the shadowing technique will enhance your learning experience. Don't forget to explore shadowing sites that provide similar content for varied practice!

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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