Central nervous system infections associated with CSF shunt devices in children, at a national reference hospital.

Abstract

Background: Infections associated with CSF shunt devices are a frequent complication in their use. The most common is the presence of gram positive coccaceae, such as coagulase negative Staphylococcus (50% in some series) and Staphylococcus aureus. This complication adds morbidity and mortality to the neurosurgical patient, increasing hospital stay and treatment costs. Aim: To determine the incidence of infections associated with CSF shunt devices in a national referral center. Methods: Retrospective, descriptive study. Information was collected on pediatric patients between 2018 and 2019. A descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was performed using the statistical language R 3.4.0 and RStudio 1.3.9. The cumulative incidence for each procedure was calculated, evaluating whether there were significant differences between them. This study was approved by the Pediatric Ethics Committee of the SSMO. Results: In the period studied, 175 surgeries were performed. We found 19 cases of ventriculitis associated with PVD and 7 cases in PVD. The most frequent agents were grampositive coccaceae. It was not possible to identify significant risk factors.