Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Clinical Pathology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Pathology
. 1969 Jul;22(4):475–482. doi: 10.1136/jcp.22.4.475

The classification of staphylococci from colonized ventriculo-atrial shunts

Richard Holt 1
PMCID: PMC474215  PMID: 5798636

Abstract

Micrococcaceae isolated from the shunt, ventricles, and bloodstream of children with colonized ventriculo-venous shunts were classified within the scheme of Baird-Parker (1963). With one exception, all belonged to subgroup II of the genus Staphylococcus; tests were therefore devised for division within this subgroup, and results are reported in 30 cases from this and other hospitals.

Skin and nasal staphylococci isolated from many of these patients were compared with those recovered from their shunts and blood. Evidence is offered for the occasional coexistence of more than one strain of staphylococcus in colonized shunts and in the bloodstream. Successive recolonization of replaced shunts was apparently not necessarily caused by the same type of staphylococcus.

Nasal and skin micrococcaceae from many other babies, both in hospital and in parental care, from hospital staff and from adults selected at random from non-hospital sources, were similarly classified.

The validity and significance of the findings are discussed.

Full text

PDF
479

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BAIRD-PARKER A. C. A classification of micrococci and staphylococci based on physiological and biochemical tests. J Gen Microbiol. 1963 Mar;30:409–427. doi: 10.1099/00221287-30-3-409. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BARBER M., KUPER S. W. A. Identification of Staphylococcus pyogenes by the phosphatase reaction. J Pathol Bacteriol. 1951 Jan;63(1):65–68. doi: 10.1002/path.1700630108. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. BRUCE A. M., LORBER J., SHEDDEN W. I., ZACHARY R. B. PERSISTENT BACTERAEMIA FOLLOWING VENTRICULO-CAVAL SHUNT OPERATIONS FOR HYDROCEPHALUS IN INFANTS. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1963 Oct;25:461–470. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.1963.tb10700.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brown R. W., Sandvik O., Scherer R. K., Rose D. L. Differentiation of strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis isolated from bovine udders. J Gen Microbiol. 1967 May;47(2):273–287. doi: 10.1099/00221287-47-2-273. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. CALLAGHAN R. P., COHEN S. J., STEWART G. T. Septicaemia due to colonization of Spitz-Holter valves by staphylococci. Five cases treated with methicillin. Br Med J. 1961 Mar 25;1(5229):860–863. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5229.860. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. CARRINGTON K. W. Ventriculo-venous shunt using the Holter valve as a treatment of hydrocephalus. J Mich State Med Soc. 1959 Mar;58(3):373–passim. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Holt R. J. Pad culture studies on skin surfaces. J Appl Bacteriol. 1966 Dec;29(3):625–630. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1966.tb03516.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. KOHN J. A preliminary report of a new gelatin liquefaction method. J Clin Pathol. 1953 Aug;6(3):249–249. doi: 10.1136/jcp.6.3.249. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. MASLEN L. G. C. Routine use of liquid urea medium for identifying Salmonella and Shigella organisms. Br Med J. 1952 Sep 6;2(4783):545–546. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.4783.545. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. MATSON D. D. HYDROCEPHALUS. N Engl J Med. 1964 Dec 24;271:1360–1362. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196412242712608. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Mitchell R. G. Classification of Staphylococcus albus strains isolated from the urinary tract. J Clin Pathol. 1968 Jan;21(1):93–96. doi: 10.1136/jcp.21.1.93. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Perrin J. C., McLaurin R. L. Infected ventriculoatrial shunts. A method of treatment. J Neurosurg. 1967 Jul;27(1):21–26. doi: 10.3171/jns.1967.27.1.0021. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Quinn E. L., Cox F., Fisher M. The problem of associating coagulase-negative staphylococci with disease. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1965 Jul 23;128(1):428–442. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1965.tb11652.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. RESNEKOV L. Staphylococcal endocarditis following mitral valvotomy with special reference to coagulase-negative Staphylococcus albus. Lancet. 1959 Oct 17;2(7103):597–600. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(59)91697-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. SCHIMKE R. T., BLACK P. H., MARK V. H., SWARTZ M. N. Indolent Staphylococcus albus or aureus bacteremia after ventriculoatriostomy. Role of foreign body in its initiation and perpetuation. N Engl J Med. 1961 Feb 9;264:264–270. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196102092640602. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. SMITH I. M., BEALS P. D., KINGSBURY K. R., HASENCLEVER H. F. Observations on Staphylococcus albus septicemia in mice and men. AMA Arch Intern Med. 1958 Sep;102(3):375–388. doi: 10.1001/archinte.1958.00030010375005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Pathology are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES