Pediatric Community-Acquired Brain Abscesses: A Single-center Retrospective Study

Kevin Hai-Ning Lu; Nora Bruns; Christina Pentek; Adela Della Marina; Andrea Gangfuß; Heike Kölbel; Burcin Dogan; Jan Dziobaka; Yahya Ahmadipour; Philipp Damman; Ursula Felderhoff-Müser; Christian Dohna-Schwake; Sarah Christina Goretzki

doi:10.1097/INF.0000000000004308

Pediatric Community-Acquired Brain Abscesses: A Single-center Retrospective Study

Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2024 Jun 1;43(6):e214-e217. doi: 10.1097/INF.0000000000004308. Epub 2024 Mar 5.

Authors

Kevin Hai-Ning Lu¹, Nora Bruns¹, Christina Pentek¹, Adela Della Marina^{1

2}, Andrea Gangfuß^{1

2}, Heike Kölbel^{1

2}, Burcin Dogan¹, Jan Dziobaka³, Yahya Ahmadipour⁴, Philipp Damman⁴, Ursula Felderhoff-Müser^{1

2}, Christian Dohna-Schwake^{1

2

5}, Sarah Christina Goretzki^{1

2

5}

Affiliations

¹ From the Department of Pediatrics I, Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care, Pediatric Infectiology, Pediatric Neurology.
² Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioural Sciences C-TNBS.
³ Institute of Medical Microbiology.
⁴ Department of Neurosurgery and Spine Surgery.
⁵ West German Centre for Infectious Diseases (WZI), University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.

Abstract

The European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases recommends 3rd generation cephalosporins and metronidazole for empirical treatment of community-acquired brain abscesses. In 53 retrospectively analyzed pediatric patients with community-acquired brain abscesses at a German University Hospital Staphylococcus aureus was identified as a relevant pathogen (21%). Therefore, it may be reasonable to cover S. aureus when selecting empirical therapy.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Anti-Bacterial Agents* / therapeutic use
Brain Abscess* / drug therapy
Brain Abscess* / microbiology
Child
Child, Preschool
Community-Acquired Infections* / drug therapy
Community-Acquired Infections* / microbiology
Female
Germany / epidemiology
Humans
Infant
Male
Metronidazole / therapeutic use
Retrospective Studies
Staphylococcal Infections* / drug therapy
Staphylococcal Infections* / microbiology
Staphylococcus aureus* / drug effects