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Bacillus Species Pseudomeningitis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 June 2016

Ludwig A. Lettau ,
Dean Benjamin ,
H. Furman Cantrell ,
David W. Potts  and
J. Michael Boggs
Ludwig A. Lettau*
Affiliation:
Infection Control Program, Greenville Memorial Medical Center, Greenville, South Carolina
Dean Benjamin
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, Greenville Memorial Medical Center, Greenville, South Carolina
H. Furman Cantrell
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, Greenville Memorial Medical Center, Greenville, South Carolina
David W. Potts
Affiliation:
Infection Control Program, Greenville Memorial Medical Center, Greenville, South Carolina
J. Michael Boggs
Affiliation:
Infection Control Program, Greenville Memorial Medical Center, Greenville, South Carolina
*
Greenville Memorial Medical Center, 701 Grove Road, Greenville, South Carolina 29605
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Abstract

A cluster of cerebrospinal fluid Gram's stains showing gram-positive bacilli and of cerebrospinal fluid cultures growing Bacillus species in a large community teaching hospital prompted an epidemiologic and microbiologic investigation. Pseudomeningitis was suspected and confirmed when cultures of uninoculated commercial trypticase soy broth with 5% Fildes enrichment grew Bacillus species. Secondary contamination of the pipettes used for inoculation accounted for the positive cerebrospinal fluid Gram's stains. The costs of this pseudo-outbreak included unnecessary antibiotic therapy, lumbar punctures, and hospitalization. Such adverse effects can be minimized by increased physician awareness of pseudoinfections and by prompt investigation of such occurrences.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 9 , Issue 9 , September 1988 , pp. 394 - 397
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1988

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