WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

*Waseem Yousif Ali, Mahamed Natheer Khasro and Dr. Mohammed Ayad Almeran

ABSTRACT

Objectives: The goal of current study was to look into the etiology, clinical characteristics, pathogens, mortality, morbidity, and treatment options for ventriculo-peritoneal (VP) shunt infections in people with congenital hydrocephalus. Patients and methods: Prospective case series descriptive study was accomplished in the Neurosurgery department at Mosul teaching hospital, from January 2011 to January 2013, the patients with VP shunts infection was studied Once infection was suspected, a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample was taken and once infection confirmed. Results: The incidence of age: 69.44% below 1year. and 30.6% were between the age of 1-2 years. Time between the surgery and the shunt infection: 61.11% were presented within 6 months of operation and 38.88% presented between 6 months to 2 years. Death occurs in 13.8%. Conclusions: Gram-positive organisms were the commonest cause of shunt infections, (staphylococcus aureus and epidermidis). The timely usage of empirical antibiotic at the time of admission and appropriate antibiotics according to antimicrobial susceptibility testing afterwards, are essential for successful treatment.