title: Ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection due to Serratia marcescens.
abstract: Serratia marcescens is an opportunistic Gram-negative bacillus that is most often associated with infections of the respiratory tract, urinary tract, wounds, and bloodstream. Infections of the central nervous system (CNS) with this pathogen are exceedingly infrequent. Even more rare is the association of S. marcescens with infections of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts. To the best of our knowledge, we describe in this report not only the first case of a VP shunt infection by S. marcescens in an adult, but also the first case of a VP shunt infection by this organism in the absence of bowel perforation.
authors.affiliation: Medical Service, Infectious Disease Section, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Center for Prostheses Infection, Baylor College of Medicine, 1333 Moursund Avenue, Suite A221, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Bremer
authors.forename: Rabih O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Darouiche
mesh_terms: D018784:Abdominal Abscess / Q000382:microbiology*; D002494:Central Nervous System Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000382:microbiology*; D016868:Serratia Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology; D012706:Serratia marcescens; D017287:Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt / Q000009:adverse effects*