Outbreak of nosocomial meningitis caused by Acinetobacter baumannii in neurosurgical patients

An outbreak of nosocomial. meningitis caused by Acinetobacter baumannii, which developed postoperatively in seven neurosurgical. patients is described. The clinical isolates of A. baumannii were typed by biochemical profiles and antibiogram patterns, and by random amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprinting. The implicated strain was multi-drug resistant, however, susceptibility to imipenem and netilmicin was detected. An extensive search for the environmental source of the epidemic strain was carried out. Two of several isolates from hospital environment, corresponded to the A. baumannii outbreak strain, one being cultured from the suctioning equipment used in the care of these patients. The introduction of multi resistant epidemic A. baumannii into a neurosurgical. unit is a severe risk factor for patients undergoing neurosurgical procedures. Genotypic typing methods are important for definitive identification of these strains in patients and their environment. (C) 2004 The Hospital Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.