Disseminated Staphylococcus aureus infection following spinal anesthesia: a case report

Abstract We here presented a 65-year-old woman with disseminated Staphylococcus aureus infection following spinal anesthesia. The patient underwent spinal anesthesia for great saphenous vein stripping. Twenty days after the procedure, the patient developed hydrocephalus, pulmonary infection, and epidural abscess. Microbiological culture of the pus showed infection by S aureus. Appropriate antibiotic therapy and prompt surgical abscess drainage were associated with good outcome. Hydrocephalus is thought to be associated with arachnoiditis caused by S aureus infection, which provides new insights into the pathophysiology of arachnoiditis. Here we reported a case of disseminated S aureus infection following spinal anesthesia, implicating that appropriate interventions should not be delayed for waiting for the microbiological results.