Significance of bacteriologically positive ventriculoperitoneal shunt components in the absence of other signs of shunt infection

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Publication Type Journal Article
School or College School of Medicine
Department Neurosurgery
Creator Kestle, John R. W.
Other Author Steinbok, Paul; Cochrane, D. Douglas
Title Significance of bacteriologically positive ventriculoperitoneal shunt components in the absence of other signs of shunt infection
Date 1996
Description The purpose of this study was to determine the significance of "asymptomatic bacteriological shunt contamination" (ABSC), defined as a positive bacteriological culture found on a ventricular shunt component in the absence of bacteria in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture and/or clinical evidence of infection. Of 174 ventriculoperitoneal shunt revisions, 19 cases of ABSC were identified and reviewed retrospectively. In all but one case, no antibiotic medications were instituted because of the positive bacteriological culture. The most common infecting organisms were coagulase-negative staphylococci (seven) and propionibacteria (eight). A comparison of the 19 study cases with the authors' overall shunt experience, as documented in the British Columbia's Children's Hospital shunt database for the time period of the study, lead the authors to suggest that ABSC was not of significance in causing the shunt failure at which contamination was identified and, more importantly, did not increase the risk of future shunt malfunction. The results of this study indicate that in the absence of clinical evidence of shunt infection or a positive bacteriological culture from CSF, bacteria in a shunt component removed at revision in a child almost always represents a contaminant that may be ignored. Therefore, the authors advise that routine culture of shunt components removed at revision of a shunt is not indicated.
Type Text
Publisher American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)
Volume 84
Issue 4
First Page 617
Last Page 623
Subject Ventricular shunt; Shunt infection; Ventriculoperitoneal shunt; Asymptomatic bacteriological; Shunt contamination
Subject LCSH Propionibacterium acnes
Language eng
Bibliographic Citation Steinbok, P., Cochrane, D. D., & Kestle, J. R. W. (1996). Significance of bacteriologically positive ventriculoperitoneal shunt components in the absence of other signs of shunt infection. Journal of Neurosurgery, 84(4), 617-23.
Rights Management (c) American Association of Neurological Surgeons
Format Medium application/pdf
Format Extent 312,103 bytes
Identifier ir-main,13148
ARK ark:/87278/s6hx1x92
Setname ir_uspace
ID 707243
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6hx1x92
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