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B. N. Gokul , A. Chandramuki , R. Ravikumar , Neelam Khanna

Abstract

Over a period of 8 years from 1979 to 1987, 27 cases of central nervous system Salmonella infection were encountered. These included 10 cases of community acquired pyogenic meningitis, 10 cases of post operative meningitis, 5 cases of brain abscesses and 2 cases of post traumatic meningitis. S. typhimurium was the most frequently isolated serotype accounting for 77.8% of cases. S. typhi was isolated from 18.5% of cases. The only other serotype found in this study was S. enteritidis isolated from a case of pyogenic meningitis. S. typhimurium was most frequently isolated from post operative cases. There was a preponderance of these salmonella infections in males of younger age group. Antibiogram showed the majority of S. typhimurium isolated were multidrug resistant. The other serotypes showed a variable sensitivity pattern. The 3 isolates of S. typhi from brain abscess cases were resistant to chloramphenicol.

Keywords

Meningitis, Salmonella Brain Abscess, CNS Salmonella Infections, Nosocomial Infections

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B. N. Gokul , A. Chandramuki , Neelam Khanna , R. Ravi Kumar

Abstract

A total of 454 pus samples from various intracranial abscess cases were analysed microbiologically for aerobic and anaerobic organisms over a period of ten years. More than 85% of these were culture positive. 22.33% of culture positive cases were due to only anaerobes, 33.67% showed both aerobes and anaerobes and 44.04% yielded only aerobes. Thus the total incidence of anaerobes in brain abscess cases was over 56%, signifying their importance in these infections. Bacteroides spp. was the most commonly isolated anaerobe. Clostridia were isolated from cases secondary to trauma. Proteus mirabilis was the most frequently isolated aerobe followed by non-haemolytic Streptococci and Staphylococcus aureus. Characterisation of the metabolites of a few anaerobic isolates was made by Gas Chromatography, for speciation of the organisms. Rare etiological agents like Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the fungus Cladosporium bantianum were isolated from four and two cases of brain abscess respectively. The microbial spectra as etiological agents in intracranial abscess cases and their predisposing factors are discussed.

Keywords

Brain Abscess, Intracranial Abscess, Microbiology of Intracranial Abscess, CNS Infections, Anaerobes

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