This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal

A Specific Hazard in Neurosurgical Patients

Steven L. Berk, MD; William R. McCabe, MD

Arch Neurol. 1981;38(2):95-98.

Abstract
• Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var anitratus caused meningitis in five patients between 1968 and 1978 at two hospitals affiliated with Boston University School of Medicine. All patients had had head trauma or neurosurgical procedures prior to the development of meningitis. The course of the disease was relatively indolent in that fulminant disease did not occur even when initial therapy was inappropriate and bacteria persisted in CSF. All five patients survived. On Gram's stain of CSF, A calcoaceticus may be confused with meningococci, pneumococci, or Haemophilus influenzae and thus cause delay in appropriate diagnosis and therapy.

Author Affiliations
From the Maxwell Finland Laboratory for Infectious Diseases, Boston City Hospital, and the Division of Infectious Disease, Boston University School of Medicine (Dr McCabe); and East Tennessee State University School of Medicine, and the Division of Infectious Disease, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Johnson City, Tenn (Dr Berk).

Footnotes
Accepted for publication Dec 24, 1979.

Reprint requests to East Tennessee State University School of Medicine, Johnson City, TN 37601 (Dr Berk).