title: The characteristics of post-neurosurgical bacterial meningitis in elective neurosurgery in 2012: A single institute study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Most post-neurosurgical meningitis research has been focused on large cohorts with numerous cases followed over several years. However, the characteristics of post-neurosurgical meningitis in an entire single year are still unclear, and knowledge of these characteristics might influence the selection of appropriate antibiotics and therapeutic strategies for the successful management of this disease. Our aim is to obtain a better understanding of post-neurosurgical meningitis over a single entire year.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with positive meningitis cultures after neurosurgical operations in our hospital during the entire year of 2012 were included in the analysis. We report demographic characteristics, morbidity during different seasons, clinical and bacteriological profiles, sensitivity to antibiotics and causes of the post-neurosurgical meningitis infections in our cohort.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 6407 patients who underwent neurosurgical procedures during the study period, 146 developed post-neurosurgical meningitis and the overall incidence of meningitis was 2.28%. The incidence of meningitis was significantly higher in patients who underwent surgery in the autumn and winter than spring or summer (p=0.000). The most common organisms causing meningitis were Gram-positive bacteria, followed by the Klebsiella and Baumannii species. Compound sulfamethoxazole (52.6%) and vancomycin (10.5%) were the most active antibiotics against Gram-positive bacteria strains, whereas meropenem (43.8%) and polymyxin (18.8%) were active against Gram-negative bacillus strains.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Post-neurosurgical meningitis usually occurs in the autumn and winter of the year in our hospital. Gram-positive organisms, which are sensitive to compound sulfamethoxazole and vancomycin, are the most common causative pathogens of post-neurosurgical meningitis in the northern mainland of China.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tian Tan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Central Nervous System Injury, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Runfa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tian Tan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Central Nervous System Injury, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Shuyu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tian Tan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Central Nervous System Injury, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zonggang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tian Tan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Central Nervous System Injury, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zhixian
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tian Tan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Nerve Injury and Repair Center of Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China; Neurotrauma Laboratory, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Department of Neurotrauma, General Hospital of Armed Police Forces, Beijing, China; China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Central Nervous System Injury, Beijing, China. Electronic address: liubaiyun1212@163.com.
authors.forename: Baiyun
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000151:Acinetobacter Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007710:Klebsiella Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D000077731:Meropenem; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures; D011113:Polymyxins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012621:Seasons; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D013420:Sulfamethoxazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013845:Thienamycins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D011113:Polymyxins; D013845:Thienamycins; D014640:Vancomycin; D000077731:Meropenem; D013420:Sulfamethoxazole
keywords: Bacterial meningitis; Characteristics; Post-neurosurgical; Season; Single entire year