What is the purpose of a ventricular peritoneal shunt?

• A. Monitor pressure within the skull in patients with a head injury.
• B. Divert excess cerebrospinal fluid to the ventricles of the brain.
• C. Prevent excess cerebrospinal fluid from accumulating in the brain.
• D. Remove fluid from the abdomen of patients with right-sided heart failure.

Answer: (C)

A ventricular peritoneal shunt provides a path for cerebrospinal fluid to leave the brain's ventricles and be absorbed in the peritoneal cavity, reducing accumulation of CSF and lowering intracranial pressure. This directly addresses hydrocephalus by removing excess fluid from the brain rather than keeping or measuring it in place. The other options describe functions the shunt does not perform—monitoring skull pressure, diverting CSF back into the ventricles, or removing abdominal fluid due to heart failure—so they don’t fit the device’s purpose.