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[Meningitis after locoregional spinal anesthesia]
P Gorce1, C Varlet, B Ouaknine
1Département d'anesthésie-réanimation, hôpital Jean-Verdier, Bondy, France.
Objective:
Meningitis is a severe and an uncommon complication of both spinal and epidural anaesthesia. This review summarizes the knowledge on epidemiology, clinical and microbiological diagnosis and the ways to prevent them.
Data Sources:
Articles published in English and French language since 1989 has been collected on Medline database, using "meningitis", "spinal anaesthesia" and "epidural anaesthesia" as keywords.
Data Synthesis:
Bacterial meningitis are usually in relation with Gram positive bacterias which is a clue for an exogenous contamination. Another unusual ways of contamination are blood circulating bacterias and spreading of local infection. Aseptic meningitis has been described, in relation to introduction of irritant agents in subarachnoid space. Lumbar puncture must be done each time meningitis suspected so that it can assert the diagnosis and guide antibiotherapy. Easy hygienic guidelines has been widely published to prevent meningitis. Usually, antibiotherapy alone is sufficient to treat meningitis but with an unjustified cost and sometimes severe persistent neurologic sequelae.
Conclusion:
The unexpected appearance of meningitis during the wearing-off of a spinal anesthesia is exceptional; the possibility of death or serious sequela must be taken into account. The sources of contamination are quite frequently exogenous, the germs coming most often from the patient's cutaneous flora or the anesthetist's ENT flora. Prevention of this risk involves a rigorous respect for cutaneous disinfection and hygiene procedures. The anesthetist's medico-legal responsibilities will be called upon in case of exogenous contamination.
Insights
Meningitis following spinal and epidural anesthesia is rare but serious. Strict hygiene during procedures is crucial for preventing exogenous contamination and potential severe sequelae.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Anesthesiology
Context:
- Meningitis is a rare but severe complication of spinal and epidural anesthesia.
- Understanding its epidemiology, diagnosis, and prevention is critical for patient safety.
Purpose:
- To review the epidemiology, clinical and microbiological diagnosis of meningitis after spinal and epidural anesthesia.
- To summarize current knowledge on preventing this complication.
Summary:
- Bacterial meningitis often results from exogenous contamination, typically from Gram-positive bacteria on the skin or ENT flora.
- Aseptic meningitis can occur due to irritant agents introduced into the subarachnoid space.
- Lumbar puncture is essential for diagnosis and guiding treatment; strict aseptic techniques are paramount for prevention.
Impact:
- Highlights the importance of rigorous hygiene and disinfection protocols to minimize the risk of meningitis.
- Emphasizes the potential for severe neurological sequelae and the anesthetist's medico-legal responsibilities.