Meningitis after spinal anaesthesia.

The occurrence of meningitis after spinal anaesthesia is a very rare event. We report a case of Streptococcus sanguis meningitis following spinal anae sthesia for orthopaedic material removal. The presence of Gram positive coc ci (Streptococcus sanguis) in the cerebrospinal fluid was in favour of an e xogenous contamination, originating either from the patient's skin or the a naesthesiologist's oropharynx. The outcome was uneventful. The responsibili ty of the latter can result in legal consequences. The scrupulous complianc e with guidelines prevents this risk. (C) 2000 Editions scientifiques et me dicales Elsevier SAS.