Cerebrospinal fluid shunt infections in children.
Forty-six episodes of cerebrospinal fluid shunt infections developed in 32 patients undergoing cerebrospinal fluid shunt operations during a 13-year period (1972 to 1984). The infection rate was 21%/operative procedure and 33%/patient. The shunt infection rate in revisions of infected shunts was 52%, a rate significantly larger than that in revisions of noninfected shunts (11%). Eight patients (25%) of the initially infected patients had more than one infectious episode. Predominating pathogens in patients who had shunt revisions included coagulase-negative staphylococci in 8 of 15 episodes (4 patients). Coagulase-negative staphylococci accounted for 28% and coagulase-positive staphylococci for 14% of the initial infectious episodes. Risk factors for development of shunt infection included age younger than 3 years, a previously infected shunt and surgery to revise the infected shunt. Therapy of infected shunts with antibiotics alone or with antibiotics plus an operative shunt revision resulted in similar success rates.
Department of Pediatrics, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.
J
J
Meirovitch
Y
Y
Kitai-Cohen
G
G
Keren
G
G
Fiendler
E
E
Rubinstein
D000293:Adolescent; D002557:Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy