Late shunt infections.
We reviewed the records of the 957 shunt-related operations performed at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital over a 10-year period. During that time, 94 shunt infections were recognized. Eight of the infections occurred more than 9 months postoperatively. These differed from early infections in two ways: (1) Staphylococcus aureus was not found to be a pathogen in any late infection. (2) Abdominal pseudocysts were much more frequently found in patients with late-developing infections. In addition, the pathogens involved and the temporal distribution of cases suggest most infections that occur more than 9 months postoperatively are more likely caused by secondary bacterial seeding than by bacterial inoculation at the time of operation.
Baird
C
C
Division of Pediatrics, Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, St. Louis, MO 63104-1095, USA.
O'Connor
D
D
Pittman
T
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003560:Cysts / Q000209:etiology; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000601:surgery*; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013997:Time Factors; D017287:Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt / Q000009:adverse effects*