BACKGROUND Delayed cerebral thrombosis (DCT) is a devastating cerebrovascular complication in patients with excellent initial recovery of pneumococcal meningitis. The aetiology is unknown, but direct bacterial invasion, activation of coagulation or post-infectious immunoglobulin deposition has been suggested. METHODS We studied histopathology of 4 patients with pneumococcal meningitis complic...

Surgical site infection (SSI) is a problem constantly uppermost in the minds of all surgeons, although the actual rate of occurrence is only 1-5% in general surgery. SSI leads to increases in the cost of care as well as, prolonged hospital stays. Furthermore, in the field of neurosurgery, SSI may result in increased morbidity and mortality, or may induce critical neurologic deficits that have a...

OBJECTIVE This study was aimed to identify the incidence and risk factors of vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) colonization in neurosurgical practice of field, with particular attention to intensive care unit (ICU). METHODS This retrospective study was carried out on the Neurosurgical ICU (NICU), during the period from January. 2005 to December. 2007, in 414 consecutive patients who had...

In this paper, our experience with originally constructed Neurosurgical Endoscopic Contact Ultrasound Probe "NECUP-2" in neuroendoscopy is reported. Between June 1997 and June 2007, 132 neuroendoscopic procedures have been performed: 102 endoscopic thrid ventriculostomies (ETV), 15 arachnoid cysts and 5 intraventricular tumours operations. The "NECUP-2" was applied effectively in all cases in w...

An epidemiologic investigation was done after 3 patients contracted Ochrobactrum anthropi meningitis at one hospital in October 1994. Neurosurgical patients with pericardial tissue implants were at greater risk of infection than other neurosurgical patients (3/14 vs. 0/566; P<.001). Cultures of implants removed from 2 case-patients, an implant at implantation, a nonimplanted pericardial tissue,...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the diagnostic value of CSF lactate (L(CSF)) for the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis (BM) following neurosurgery, and compare it with other CSF markers. METHODS Prospective study of consecutive neurosurgical postoperative patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Maciel Hospital. Patients with clinical suspicion of BM were categorised, according to preset c...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Meningitis is a serious complication, although rare in regional anesthesia. This report aimed at presenting a case which evolved to meningitis after combined labor spinal-epidural analgesia. CASE REPORT Laboring patient, 25 years old, second gestation and previous c-section. Combined labor spinal-epidural analgesia was induced with double-puncture. Twenty-four hours ...

BACKGROUND Salmonella brain abscess associated with brain tumor is rare. Only 11 cases have been reported to date. Here we report a case of brain abscess caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis mimicking post-surgical meningitis in a patient with glioblastoma multiforme. CASE PRESENTATION A 60-year-old Algerian woman was admitted through an emergency department for a 4-day history o...

In their practice of post-operative neurosurgical care, nurses frequently encounter the problem of post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Knowledge of risk factors for PONV can help nurses to identify groups of patients who may encounter PONV and develop related therapeutic guidelines. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify and summarize risk factor research for PONV after ne...