title: Characterization of clinically significant isolates of Staphylococcus epidermidis from patients with cerebrospinal fluid shunt infections.
abstract: Biotyping, slime production, antibiograms, extrachromosomal DNA banding and total DNA restriction analysis were used to characterize Staphylococcus epidermidis strains causing cerebrospinal fluid shunt infections in 11 patients. Infections considered to be community acquired and those acquired in the first 2 weeks of hospital admission were due to oxacillin-susceptible isolates. Multiply resistant strains were isolated from patients who were in hospital for more than 1 month before tube implantation. Slime was detected in staphylococci for 54% of cases, but its expression varied. Strains from different patients could be differentiated from one another by the extrachromosomal DNA bandings and total DNA restriction patterns, but isolates from the same patient were usually similar. During the period of external drainage, epidemiological markers were useful in differentiating persistence of infection from contamination or re-infection by a new strain.
authors.affiliation: Centre National de Référence des Staphylocoques, Faculté de Médecine Alexis Carrel, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Etienne
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Charpin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grando
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Brun
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bes
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fleurette
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles; D002557:Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002871:Chromosome Banding; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay; D008581:Meningitis / Q000382:microbiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000145:classification* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004269:DNA, Bacterial