Retrospective review of the epidemiology, microbiology, management and outcomes of intra-cranial abscesses at a neurosurgical tertiary referral centre, 2018–2020

Table 2 Microbiological diagnoses of infections included in this study

	Intraparenchymal abscess	Subdural empyema	Extradural empyema
Gram-positive cocci^a	0	0	1
S. milleri	10	5	0
S. milleri mixed^b	2	2	1
S. pyogenes	0	1	0
S. pneumoniae	1	1	0
E. coli	0	1	0
Enterobacter cloacae	1	0	0
Proteus mirabilis and anaerobes	1	0	0
Actinobacillus	0	0	1
Actinomyces meyeri	1	0	0
Nocardia sp.	2	0	0
Anaerobes	3	0	0
Mixed organisms	4^c	1^d	0
Sterile culture	2	0	0
No sample received	2	0	0
TOTAL	29	11	3

The method of identification is described further in the text. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were considered contaminants when grown in mixed populations
^aGram positive cocci seen on Gram stain, no organisms grown, not subject to 16S PCR
^bS. milleri grown, with any other organism either grown, seen on Gram stain, or detected by 16S rRNA PCR
^cMixtures were: Actinomyces sp. and S. oralis; Propionibacterium acnes grown and Gram-positive rods and cocci seen; E. coli and Bacteroides ovatus; Staph capitis, S. mitis and Actinomyces meyeri
^dGroup C Streptococcus and anaerobes

ISSN: 1476-0711