Investigation of an outbreak of device-related postoperative ventriculitis: a lesson learnt

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Neurosurgery
• Medical Device Contamination

Background:

• Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a frequent cause of hospital-acquired infections.
• Postoperative ventriculitis poses a significant risk to neurosurgical patients.
• Device-related infections can lead to challenging outbreaks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate an unusual outbreak of postoperative ventriculitis.
• To identify the source of Pseudomonas aeruginosa contamination.
• To evaluate the role of medical devices in nosocomial infections.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective case review of five neurosurgical patients with ventriculitis.
• Screening of potential contamination sources for Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
• Microbiological culturing of surgical instruments, including ultrasonic aspirator sets.
• Antibiotic sensitivity testing of isolated bacterial strains.

Main Results:

• Pseudomonas aeruginosa was identified as the causative agent in all five patients.
• The ultrasonic aspirator was confirmed as the source of contamination.
• Isolates from patients and the device showed similar antibiotic sensitivity patterns.

Conclusions:

• Medical devices, particularly the ultrasonic aspirator, can be a source of nosocomial infections.
• Prompt identification of unusual infection patterns is crucial for outbreak control.
• Routine surveillance and molecular typing aid in managing postoperative infection outbreaks.