title: [Brain abscess: about a clinical series of 30 patients].
abstract: A retrospective study was designed to ascertain the main clinical features of 30 patients admitted for brain abscess between 1989 and 2005. A contiguous source of infection was identified in 40% of cases, direct inoculation secondary to trauma or neurosurgery in 23,3%, and a distant source in 23,3%. Fever, headache and sensorial involvement were the main clinical manifestations. Temporal and frontal lesions were predominant. Microbiological information was available in only half of cases, prevailing polymicrobial and gram-positive bacterial infections. Most patients underwent surgical procedures (66.7%) and the rest received only medical therapy. During antimicrobial treatment, 6 patients (20%) suffered a serious adverse event that prompted discontinuation or change of therapy. Failure of treatment was observed in 40%, including 3 deaths (10%), non-programmed surgical drainage or reintervention (16.7%) and changes of the antimicrobial regimen (13.3%). Eight patients were discharged with sequels (26.7%), and during follow-up, 21% presented major events (death or brain abscess-related readmission).
authors.affiliation: Sección de Infectología, Departamento de Medicina, Hospital Clínico Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile. afica@redclinicauchile.cl
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fica C
authors.forename: Patricio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bustos G
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Miranda C
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents