Neuroinfections due to Enterococcus faecalis in children

• Published in: Neuro-endocrinology letters Vol. 28 Suppl 2; p. 32
• Main Authors: Benca, J, Ondrusova, A, Huttova, M, Rudinsky, B, Kisac, P, Bauer, F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sweden 01.06.2007
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Cross Infection - drug therapy; Cross Infection - etiology; Cross Infection - microbiology; Enterococcus faecalis - pathogenicity; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections - complications; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections - drug therapy; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; Meningitis, Bacterial - drug therapy; Meningitis, Bacterial - etiology; Meningitis, Bacterial - microbiology; Neurosurgical Procedures - adverse effects; Postoperative Complications - drug therapy; Postoperative Complications - microbiology; Rare Diseases; Retrospective Studies
• ISSN: 0172-780X

Enterococcal meningitis is a rare complication of neurosurgical procedure or high technology treatment of children and occurs mainly imunocompromised neonates with very low birth weight, severe prematurity and complicates sometime ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion or perinatal trauma. E. faecalis caused 10 nosocomial meningitis and all strains were susceptible to vancomycin and chloramphenicol, and in our database 90% also to gentamicin and ampicillin. Mortality in our group of 10 children was 20% what is insignificantly higher than overall mortality in the whole cohort of meningitis within last 15 years in our database (15.1%). Early empiric therapy should include also ampicillin or vancomycin, if enterococcal etiology is suspected.