Investigation of an outbreak of device-related postoperative ventriculitis: a lesson learnt

Abstract

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P aeruginosa) is one of the most common nosocomial pathogens. We report our experience of a device-related outbreak of postoperative ventriculitis caused by P aeruginosa thus initiating investigation of the unusual occurrence. Five neurosurgical patients were affected, postoperatively. The investigations entailed extensive screening of the common sources of contamination for colonization of P aeruginosa. Sterilized instruments used for surgery, including the ultrasonic aspirator (USA) sets and other hollow devices, were randomly sampled and cultured. Conventional culture methods yielded P aeruginosa, with almost similar antibiotic sensitivity pattern in all the patients and the ultrasonic aspirator, clinching the source of contamination. Routine surveillance, identification of unusual patterns, molecular epidemiological typing would be helpful in quick control of outbreaks of postoperative infections.