Meropenem and Amikacin for Management of Post-Neurosurgical Infections from Acinetobacter baumannii

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Neuroscience
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Intra-cranial infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii present significant challenges due to multi-drug resistance and poor antibiotic penetration across the blood-brain barrier.
• These infections can lead to severe complications and mortality, necessitating effective therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of intravenous (IV) meropenem and intra-thecal (IT) amikacin in treating Acinetobacter baumannii intra-cranial infections.
• To present successful case studies of managing pandrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii intra-cranial infections.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of culture results and clinical characteristics of patients with intra-cranial infections.
• Case series reporting on four post-neurosurgical patients treated with IV meropenem and IT amikacin.

Main Results:

• Four patients with post-neurosurgical Acinetobacter baumannii intra-cranial infections, presenting with fever and altered consciousness, were successfully treated.
• The combination therapy of IV meropenem and IT amikacin demonstrated effectiveness against pandrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.

Conclusions:

• Intravenous meropenem and intra-thecal amikacin represent a viable therapeutic option for Acinetobacter baumannii intra-cranial infections, particularly when colistin is unavailable.
• This treatment approach offers a potential solution for challenging intra-cranial bacterial infections.