Shunt infection

OBJECTIVE: There is no firm evidence regarding cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt reimplantation after infection in the pediatric population. The purpose of this study was to compare different criteria and analyze new shunt failure. METHODS: It is a cross-sectional, retrospective, and multicenter study, in six years; the first to study patients and each infected shunt at diagnosis, reimplantation, and post-reimplantation, dividing patients into two groups: Group 1(G1): Reimplantation after negative serial CSF cultures during the antibiotic treatment; Group 2(G2): Reimplantation after negative serial pancultures following antibiotics completion; the differences were measured with: Mann Whitney and Chi-square tests; multivariate analysis and association were calculated using Odds Ratio based on logistic regression...

Lin, Tian, Huaping Jia, Yunming Li, Yongxing Xu, Bei Zhao, Dong Zheng, Hongfeng Yan, Meihui Zhao, Yanlei Li, Liping Xia, Fengxia Zhou, Cuiping Liu, Ke Ma, Ma Mi, and Jianwen Gu. Epidemiological survey of congenital heart disease among children aged from 2 to 18 in Suo County, Nagqu, Tibet. High Alt Med Biol . 00:000-000, 2024. Background: Studies have reported the prevalence of congenital heart disease (CHD) in parts of Tibet, but relative epidemiological surveys are rare. We aimed to explore the prevalence of CHD in children and its relationship with family history in Suo County, Nagqu, Tibet, an altitude of 3,980 meters...

BACKGROUND: The Entrapped Temporal Horn (ETH) is characterized by localized enlargement of the temporal horn of the lateral ventricle of the brain. This study aimed to investigate the factors, development, prognosis, and effective treatment. METHODS: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, a systematic search was conducted in major research databases. The inclusion criteria included patients of all ages with TTH diagnosis in cohort studies, case series, and case reports...

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) often presents with a wide range of complications, including respiratory distress, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and hypercoagulable states with resultant cerebrovascular incidents. Intra- and extra-pulmonological shunts can further complicate patient courses, leading to persistent hypoxemia and paradoxical emboli, resulting in potentially life-threatening consequences, necessitating a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to patient care. Here we present the case of a 73-year-old male who experienced severe persistent hypoxemic respiratory failure, superimposed methicillin-resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pneumonia, and stroke with a previously undiagnosed patent foramen ovale (PFO) contributing to his clinical presentation...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the cervical cancer screening practices among women residing in Lingang New District of Shanghai. Moreover, the study aimed to delve into the characteristics of HPV infection and cervical lesions in older women (≥60 years old), seeking for more effective method for cervical cancer screening. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study enrolled women who were referred to colposcopy and cervical histological examination due to abnormal cytology or HPV tests from Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital between January 2018 and December 2022...

OBJECTIVE: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt infections caused by gram-negative bacteria are difficult to treat given the limited treatment options and the emergence of carbapenem-resistant (CR) strains. This study aimed to evaluate the demographic and clinical characteristics of children with CSF shunt and external ventricular drain (EVD) infections caused by gram-negative bacteria, to identify the risk factors for acquiring CR CSF shunt infections, and to report on the clinical outcomes of these infections...

OBJECTIVE: Recurrent disseminated coccidioidal meningitis in two subsequent pregnancies is rare and can pose a challenge in ensuring the health of both mother and baby. In this unique case we highlight this rare occurrence and subsequent treatment. CASE REPORT: A 29-year-old G4P1021 with a history of disseminated coccidioidomycosis in a previous pregnancy presented at 8 weeks gestation with nausea, headache, and neck pain. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis was positive for recurrent coccidioidal infection...

OBJECTIVE: Pyogenic cerebral ventriculitis (PCV) is a rare infectious entity characterized by a potent inflammatory reaction of the ventricular ependyma, which in most cases leads to death. We aim to present the technical note and protocol, based on our center's 10-year experience of the use of endoscopic ventricular lavage in pediatric patients with PCV and ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS). METHODS: For this study, all pediatric patients (<16 years) with VP shunts and PCV who were treated with endoscopic ventricular lavage between January 2012 and January 2022 were included...

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common cause of urinary tract infections by strains that are often multidrug resistant, representing a major challenge to the world's health care system. This microorganism has a highly adaptable metabolism that allows it to colonize many environments, including the urinary tract. In this work, we have characterized the metabolic strategies used by stationary phase P. aeruginosa cells cultivated in urine-like media to understand the adaptations used by this microorganism to survive and produce disease...

BACKGROUND: Adhesive arachnoiditis (AA) is a debilitating condition characterized by chronic inflammation of the arachnoid membrane, leading to the formation of intrathecal scars and dural adhesions. The etiology of AA is multifactorial, including factors such as infections, trauma, and iatrogenic damage. We present a case of a female patient who developed communicating hydrocephalus after spinal anesthesia complicated by severe AA. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 33-year-old female underwent a cesarean section with epidural anesthesia...

The ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VP shunt) is one of the most common neurosurgical procedures performed in daily practice. Various complications following a VP shunt are as follows: post-procedure shunt-related infections, shunt block, shunt displacement or exteriorisation and haemorrhage associated with it. Delayed intraventricular haemorrhage is a relatively uncommon complication following the aforementioned procedure. Here we present an atypical case of a 72-year-old male who presented with subarachnoid haemorrhage with hydrocephalus and underwent a VP shunt, following which the patient had early intraventricular haemorrhage (eIVH) with an unfortunate outcome...

INTRODUCTION: Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is one of the most frequent neurosurgical emergencies, most of them due to intracranial aneurysm rupture. Hydrocephalus is a prevalent complication with a high rate of complications. The aims of this study are to identify predictors of shunt-dependent hydrocephalus following aneurysmal SAH and to quantify the complications arising from ventriculoperitoneal shunts. METHODS: This study is about an observational retrospective analytic study of the patients with spontaneous SAH admitted to Miguel Servet Universitary Hospital between 2017 and 2022...

BACKGROUND: Managing health care acquired and device-associated intracranial infections in young children can be challenging given adverse antibiotic side effects and difficulties in achieving adequate central nervous system (CNS) antibiotic concentrations. Ceftaroline is a cephalosporin with a favorable safety profile and activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococci and several Gram-negative organisms. Published data on the use of ceftaroline for CNS infections in children and adults are limited...

OBJECTIVE: Congenital toxoplasmosis (CT) can have severe early and late sequelae in children. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the demographic, clinical, treatment characteristics of patients diagnosed with congenital Toxoplasma infection and to highlight the long-term complications of the patients. METHODS: Patients with CT were included in this study who were followed between 2010 and 2022 in Cukurova University Medical Faculty Hospital. Demographic, clinical and treatment characteristics were searched retrospectively...

PURPOSE: Post infective hydrocephalus (PIH) is a type of hydrocephalus which occurs after an infection of the brain or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Treatment of PIH requires temporary measures such as external ventricular drain (EVD) and ventriculosubgaleal shunt (VSGS) until CSF becomes clear and ready to implement VP shunt. Limited research has been done to explore the tradeoff between these approaches particularly in pediatric PIH patients. Our study compares the complications, mortality rates, and the cost of used resources of both procedures...

Hydrocephalus (HC) is a heterogenous disease characterized by alterations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics that may cause increased intracranial pressure. HC is a component of a wide array of genetic syndromes as well as a secondary consequence of brain injury (intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), infection, etc.) that can present across the age spectrum, highlighting the phenotypic heterogeneity of the disease. Surgical treatments include ventricular shunting and endoscopic third ventriculostomy with or without choroid plexus cauterization, both of which are prone to failure, and no effective pharmacologic treatments for HC have been developed...

INTRODUCTION: Introduction: Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH) is a condition characterized by elevated intracranial pressure. Although several mechanisms have been proposed as underlying causes of IIH, no identifiable causative factor has been determined for this condition. Initial treatments focus on weight or CSF reduction, but severe cases may require surgery. This study compares outcomes in IIH patients treated with lumboperitoneal shunts (LPS) versus ventriculoperitoneal shunts (VPS)...

Meningitis in patients with ventriculo-peritoneal shunt (VP shunt) caused by various species of Candida have been widely described in literature. However, reports describing Candida auris as a cause of meningitis is limited. In this case report we describe a case of multidrug resistant Candida auris meningitis secondary to VP shunt infection successfully treated with intrathecal amphotericin B deoxycholate and intravenous liposomal amphotericin B. This is the second case report of successful treatment of Candida auris meningitis from India...

The ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement procedure is common throughout the world, with a prevalence of approximately 30,000 procedures per year in the United States (5). However, the rate of complications is still important and must be remembered, with a percentage of 11 to 25% after the first year of implantation. Abdominal complications are described in 5-47% of the cases (6), and the abdominal pseudocyst is one of them. We present the case of a patient colonized by multidrug-resistant bacteria, who underwent exteriorization surgery of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt...

BACKGROUND: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a significant healthcare burden in Canada. National surveillance of HAIs at sentinel acute care hospitals is conducted by the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program. This article describes device and surgical procedure-related HAI epidemiology in Canada from 2017 to 2021. METHODS: Data were collected from over 60 Canadian sentinel acute care hospitals between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2021, for central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), hip and knee surgical site infections (SSIs), cerebrospinal fluid shunt SSIs and paediatric cardiac SSIs...