ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT ACINETOBACTER MENINGITIS IN NEUROSURGICAL PATIENTS

ACINETOBACTER ANITRATUS HAS emerged as one of the common pathogens res ponsible for postneurosurgical meningitis at the authors' institution. Seven patients with Acinetobacter meningitis were identified during t he 4-year period of this study, five of whom acquired organisms suscep tible only to imipenem and amikacin. Acinetobacter bacteremia occurred concomitantly in five patients. Despite late institution of therapy a s a result either of organism misidentification on Gram stain or of un expected acquisition of a highly resistant organism, the patients' out come was favorable after the initiation of appropriate antibiotic ther apy. Imipenem and amikacin, with or without intrathecal aminoglycoside s, were effective in patients with resistant strains of Acinetobacter.