The External Ventricular Drain-related Ventriculitis: Organisms and Appropriateness of Empiric Antibiotic Therapy

PURPOSE: To investigate the etiologic microorganisms of external ventricular drain (EVD)-related ventriculitis and the appropriateness of using ceftazidime and vancomycin as an empiric therapy in neurosurgical patients with EVD-related ventriculitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 39 patients with EVD-related ventriculitis among 340 neurosurgical patients to whom EVD had been placed during December 2000 and October 2003 at Kyungpook National University Hospital. RESULTS: Thirty-nine EVD-related infections (39/340, 11.5%) occurred and the attributable mortality rate was 10.3% (4/39). The average duration from the ventricular catheter placement to the development of ventriculitis was 8.4 days. All patients with EVD infection had fever and 89.7% (35/39) of the patients showed nuchal rigidity. The positive culture rate in CSF was 87.1% (34/39) and the frequency of individual organism is as follows:Acinetobacter 45% (19 cases), methicillin-resistant coagulase negative Staphylococcus 22% (9 cases), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus 22% (9 cases), Enterococcus 5% (2 cases), Streptococcus pneumoniae 3% (1 case), non-fermenting gram-negative bacilli 3% (1 case). The polymicrobial infection rate was 15.4% (6/39). Among 19 cases of Acinetobacter infection, 42.1% (8/19) of the strains showed resistance to ceftriaxone and 15.7% (3/11) to ceftazidime. However, all cases were sensitive to meropenem. CONCLUSION: These findings show that the major etiologic organisms causing EVD-related ventriculitis have recently changed to Gram-negative non-fermenters, especially Acinetobacter. Because Gram-negative non-fermenting rods resistant to ceftazidime are increasing, an immediate change from ceftazidime plus vancomycin, the widely accepted empiric antibiotic therapy, to meropenem plus vancomycin should be considered when clinical symptoms and signs show no improvement or even deterioration.

The External Ventricular Drain-related Ventriculitis: Organisms and Appropriateness of Empiric Antibiotic Therapy

PURPOSE: To investigate the etiologic microorganisms of external ventricular drain (EVD)-related ventriculitis and the appropriateness of using ceftazidime and vancomycin as an empiric therapy in neurosurgical patients with EVD-related ventriculitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 39 patients with EVD-related ventriculitis among 340 neurosurgical patients to whom EVD had been placed during December 2000 and October 2003 at Kyungpook National University Hospital. RESULTS: Thirty-nine EVD-related infections (39/340, 11.5%) occurred and the attributable mortality rate was 10.3% (4/39). The average duration from the ventricular catheter placement to the development of ventriculitis was 8.4 days. All patients with EVD infection had fever and 89.7% (35/39) of the patients showed nuchal rigidity. The positive culture rate in CSF was 87.1% (34/39) and the frequency of individual organism is as follows:Acinetobacter 45% (19 cases), methicillin-resistant coagulase negative Staphylococcus 22% (9 cases), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus 22% (9 cases), Enterococcus 5% (2 cases), Streptococcus pneumoniae 3% (1 case), non-fermenting gram-negative bacilli 3% (1 case). The polymicrobial infection rate was 15.4% (6/39). Among 19 cases of Acinetobacter infection, 42.1% (8/19) of the strains showed resistance to ceftriaxone and 15.7% (3/11) to ceftazidime. However, all cases were sensitive to meropenem. CONCLUSION: These findings show that the major etiologic organisms causing EVD-related ventriculitis have recently changed to Gram-negative non-fermenters, especially Acinetobacter. Because Gram-negative non-fermenting rods resistant to ceftazidime are increasing, an immediate change from ceftazidime plus vancomycin, the widely accepted empiric antibiotic therapy, to meropenem plus vancomycin should be considered when clinical symptoms and signs show no improvement or even deterioration.

The Effect of Aminoglycoside Restriction on the Resistance Pattern and Mortality of Nosocomial Bacteremia Caused by Gram-Negative Bacilli

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effects of an aminoglycoside restriction policy on expenditures for aminoglycosides, antimicrobial resistance rates and clinical outcome of nosocomial bacteremia caused by Gram-negative bacilli (GNB). METHODS: Starting in February, 2002, a prior consultation with an infectious disease specialist for using aminoglycoside antibiotics over 5 days was required in a 930-bed university hospital. In retrospective analysis of medical records 7 months after initiation of the aminoglycoside restriction policy, sixty cases of clinically relevant nosocomial bacteremia caused by GNB were found. These bacteremic patients were compared with sixty, species-matched, control patients with nosocomial Gram- negative bacteremia before the policy for total expenditures for aminoglycosides, susceptibility to antibiotics and clinical outcomes of bacteremia. RESULTS: During the same period of 7 months before and after the restriction policy, total expenditures for aminoglycosides decreased by 44% in cost (from 465,030,841 Won to 259,618,337 Won) and the antimicrobial utilization density of aminoglycosides decreased by 42% (from 225.2 to 130.3). On the other hand, the patterns of antibiotic susceptibility and bacteremia-related in-hospital mortality rates after the policy did not show a significant change, compared with those before the policy. CONCLUSION: Antibiotic restrictions are among the most popular methods to diminish the practice of antibiotic overuse in hospitals. In this study, requirement for prior approval of aminoglycoside use over 5 days led to a significant decrease in the amount and cost of total aminoglycosides without a significant change in susceptibility patterns and bacteremia-related mortality rates.

The Effect of Aminoglycoside Restriction on the Resistance Pattern and Mortality of Nosocomial Bacteremia Caused by Gram-Negative Bacilli

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effects of an aminoglycoside restriction policy on expenditures for aminoglycosides, antimicrobial resistance rates and clinical outcome of nosocomial bacteremia caused by Gram-negative bacilli (GNB). METHODS: Starting in February, 2002, a prior consultation with an infectious disease specialist for using aminoglycoside antibiotics over 5 days was required in a 930-bed university hospital. In retrospective analysis of medical records 7 months after initiation of the aminoglycoside restriction policy, sixty cases of clinically relevant nosocomial bacteremia caused by GNB were found. These bacteremic patients were compared with sixty, species-matched, control patients with nosocomial Gram- negative bacteremia before the policy for total expenditures for aminoglycosides, susceptibility to antibiotics and clinical outcomes of bacteremia. RESULTS: During the same period of 7 months before and after the restriction policy, total expenditures for aminoglycosides decreased by 44% in cost (from 465,030,841 Won to 259,618,337 Won) and the antimicrobial utilization density of aminoglycosides decreased by 42% (from 225.2 to 130.3). On the other hand, the patterns of antibiotic susceptibility and bacteremia-related in-hospital mortality rates after the policy did not show a significant change, compared with those before the policy. CONCLUSION: Antibiotic restrictions are among the most popular methods to diminish the practice of antibiotic overuse in hospitals. In this study, requirement for prior approval of aminoglycoside use over 5 days led to a significant decrease in the amount and cost of total aminoglycosides without a significant change in susceptibility patterns and bacteremia-related mortality rates.