Non-cephalosporin-susceptible, glucose non-fermentative Gram-negative bacilli meningitis in post-neurosurgical adults: Clinical characteristics and therapeutic outcome

Wei An Lai, Shu Fang Chen, Nai Wen Tsai, Wen Neng Chang, Cheng Hsien Lu, Yao Chung Chuang, Chiung Chih Chang, Chi Ren Huang*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal Article peer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective The clinical and laboratory characteristics of non-cephalosporin-susceptible (non-CS) glucose non-fermentative Gram-negative (G(-)) infections in adults with postneurosurgical meningitis are rarely examined solely in the literature. Methods The data of 28 post-neurosurgical adults meningitis with glucose non-fermentative G(-) infections, collected during a study period of 5 years (2006-2010), were reviewed. The clinical and laboratory data between the non-cephalosporin-susceptible groups and the cephalosporin-susceptible groups were compared. Results A total of 30 G(-) strains were collected from the 28 enrolled cases. Among the implicated glucose non-fermentative G(-) strains, 18 strains, belonging to 17 cases, were non-CS. Among the 18 non-cephalosporin-susceptible strains, Acinetobacter spp. (39%, 7/18) was the most common, followed by Pseudomonas spp. (22%, 4/18), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (22%, 4/18) and Elizabethkingia meningoseptica (11%, 2/18). With a comparative analysis, there were no significant difference between the non-cephalosporin-susceptible and cephalosporin-susceptible glucose non-fermentative G(-) groups. The clinical and laboratory data were also of no statistical significance between the fatal (n = 4) and non-fatal (n = 13) non-cephalosporin-susceptible groups. Conclusion Sixty percent (18/30) of implicated glucose non-fermentative G(-) strains of post-NS meningitis in adults are non-cephalosporin-susceptible. Among the non-cephalosporin-susceptible glucose non-fermentative G(-) strains, Acinetobacter spp., Pseudomonas spp., S. maltophilia and E. meningoseptica are the commonly implicated pathogens, and their emergence in this specific group of meningitis has caused a therapeutic dilemma. The clinical manifestations of non- -susceptible glucose non-fermentative G(-) meningitis were not unique; therefore, only bacterial culture and antimicrobial susceptibility test are the methods for identification confirmation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)61-66
Number of pages6
JournalClinical Neurology and Neurosurgery
Volume116
DOIs
StatePublished - 01 2014

Keywords

  • Bacterial meningitis
  • Glucose non-fermentative
  • Gram-negative bacilli
  • Non-cephalosporin susceptible
  • Post-neurosurgical

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