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Klebsiella meningitis--report of nine cases
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
|December 1, 1972
Abstract:
During a serious epidemic of chest and urinary infections due to Klebsiella aerogenes in a neurosurgical unit, several patients developed klebsiella meningitis after trauma or surgery. Despite all attempts to control the epidemic and treat the meningitis with antibiotics, eight of the nine patients died. It was not until all antibiotics used to treat respiratory and urinary infections had been totally withdrawn that no further patients developed klebsiella meningitis.
Insights
Klebsiella aerogenes caused meningitis in neurosurgery patients during an epidemic. Withdrawing antibiotics for other infections stopped new meningitis cases, suggesting a link.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Neurosurgery
- Hospital Epidemiology
Background:
- A Klebsiella aerogenes outbreak caused severe chest and urinary infections in a neurosurgical unit.
- Several patients developed Klebsiella meningitis following neurosurgery or trauma.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the link between Klebsiella aerogenes infections and the development of meningitis in neurosurgical patients.
- To identify factors contributing to the high mortality rate of Klebsiella meningitis in this setting.
Main Methods:
- Observational study during an ongoing epidemic.
- Clinical data review of patients with Klebsiella aerogenes infections.
- Analysis of antibiotic treatment protocols and patient outcomes.
Main Results:
- Eight out of nine patients with Klebsiella meningitis died despite antibiotic treatment.
- The incidence of Klebsiella meningitis ceased only after antibiotics for respiratory and urinary infections were discontinued.
Conclusions:
- Antibiotic use for common infections may have inadvertently contributed to the development of Klebsiella meningitis in susceptible neurosurgical patients.
- Discontinuation of broad-spectrum antibiotics for non-meningitis infections was associated with the cessation of new Klebsiella meningitis cases.