OCHROBACTRUM ANTHROPI MENINGITIS IN PEDIATRIC PERICARDIAL ALLOGRAFT TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS

An epidemiologic investigation was done after 3 patients contracted Oc hrobactrum anthropi meningitis at one hospital in October 1994, Neuros urgical patients with pericardial tissue implants were at greater risk of infection than other neurosurgical patients (3/14 vs, 0/566; P < . 001), Cultures of implants removed from 2 case-patients, an implant at implantation, a nonimplanted pericardial tissue, and an unwrapped but unopened bottle of Hanks' balanced salt solution (HBSS) grew O. anthr opi. Patient and tissue isolates had identical genotypes; the isolate from the HBSS bottle had a unique genotype, Culture samples from an un opened HBSS bottle and from pericardial tissue grew Pseudomonas stutze ri of the same genotype; however, no P. stutzeri infections were detec ted. The investigation documented intrinsic P. stutzeri contamination of HBSS. O. anthropi contamination of tissues occurred during processi ng, possibly due to extrinsic contamination of HBSS. Active surveillan ce is needed to detect infection in patients receiving transplanted ti ssues, and rigorous infection control practices are necessary during t issue harvesting and processing to ensure sterility.