Related Experiment Videos
Postoperative ventriculitis in infants
Insights
Ventriculitis in spina bifida patients complicates 7.9% of surgeries. Prophylactic antibiotics may increase resistant strains, worsening outcomes, and intraventricular foreign bodies hinder sterilization.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Pediatric Surgery
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Ventriculitis is a serious complication in spina bifida patients undergoing surgical treatment.
- The incidence of ventriculitis was evaluated in relation to surgical procedures for spina bifida.
Abstract:
Eight consecutive cases of ventriculitis detected and treated during a four year period are reviewed. This complication represented 7.9% of all cases of spina bifida treated surgically, and 5.4% of all shunt precedures performed during the study period. Prophylactic antibiotic treatment did not reduce the incidence of ventriculitis, and in fact seemed to produce resistant strains, which led to difficulties in treatment and a worse prognosis. The presence of an intraventricular foreign body precludes permanent sterilization of the ventricular fluid. Finally, in those cases in which the antibiotic of choice penetrates poorly into the cerebrospinal fluid; intraventricular as well as systemic administration of the drug is indicated. With Gram negative organisms, Gentamicin is currently the drug of choice.