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Ventriculoperitoneal shunt infections in children A 6-year study


M.F. Cotton
B Hartzenberg
P.R. Donald
P.J. Burger

Abstract

In a study of ventriculoperitoneal shunt infections conducted retrospectively between 1983 and 1987 and prospectively in 1988 39 infections from 372 shunt procedures (incidence 10,5%) were identified. The most common organism isolated was Staphylococcus aureus (18; 47%) followed by S. epidermidis (10; 26%). Forty-two per cent of staphylococci were methicillin-resistant. Gram-negative infections were associated with myelomeningoceles and Gram-positive infections with other forms of hydrocephalus (P = 0,048). Lymphocyte predominance was found more frequently than polymorphonuclear predominance in cerebrospinal fluid.


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eISSN: 2078-5135
print ISSN: 0256-9574