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62nd Annual Meeting of the German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC)
Joint Meeting with the Polish Society of Neurosurgeons (PNCH)

German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC)

7 - 11 May 2011, Hamburg

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Characterisation of biofilms on external ventricular drains by polymerase chain reaction: preliminary results

Meeting Abstract

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  • A. Apedjinou - Clinic for Neurosurgery, Hannover Medical School
  • M.J. Mirzayan - Clinic for Neurosurgery, Hannover Medical School
  • J.K. Krauss - Clinic for Neurosurgery, Hannover Medical School
  • F. Bremer - Department of Preservative Dentistry and Parodontology, Hannover Medical School
  • A. Winkel - Department of Preservative Dentistry and Parodontology, Hannover Medical School
  • M. Stiesch - Department of Preservative Dentistry and Parodontology, Hannover Medical School

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. Polnische Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgen. 62. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC), Joint Meeting mit der Polnischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgen (PNCH). Hamburg, 07.-11.05.2011. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2011. DocMO.03.03

doi: 10.3205/11dgnc003, urn:nbn:de:0183-11dgnc0035

Published: April 28, 2011

© 2011 Apedjinou et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.

Outline

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Objective: Bacterial colonization of external ventricular drains may result in serious infections with a high risk of morbidity and even mortality in the case of ventriculitis. Data about the development of bacterial biofilm may help to guide specific treatment, in particular also to determine the optimal time window to change external ventricular drains. The aim of this study was to identify the development of bacterial biofilm prior to the occurrence of infections

Methods: Superficial smears were taken from 21 drains, on day 1, 3, 5 and 7 post surgery. When the drain was removed, the catheters were secured for biofilm characterization both from the intracranial and extracranial portions as well as from the intraluminus and the outside surface. Samples were obtained under sterile conditions. All samples were stored at –80°C before examination by polymerase chain reaction. All patients received antiobitic prophylaxis as long as they had the external ventricular drains.

Results: No clinical infection occurred. Examinations of the extracorporal part of the catheters contained staphylococcus (n=3), propionibacterium (n=12) and lactobacillus (n=6) strains. The intraluminar part of all catheters was free from a bacterial biofilm.

Conclusions: These results are consistent with biofilm development by skin flora. Expansion of this biofilm to the intracranial part and also to the intraluminal portion was absent. The expansion of bacterial biofilm might be inhibited by the antibiotic prophylaxis. Lack of biofilm on the intraluminar part of the catheters may also be explained by the cerebrospinal fluid flow through the catheter.