Subdural Empyema in the Setting of Multimodal Intracranial Monitoring

BACKGROUND

Multimodal intracranial monitoring is becoming an increasingly common tool in the management of patients with traumatic brain injury. Although numerous reports detailing the benefits of such advanced monitoring exist in the literature, there is minimal discussion of the possible complications that may arise in this patient population.

CASE DESCRIPTION

We report the case of a 32-year-old patient who had been assaulted and presented initially at an outside facility with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 8. After transfer to our hospital, his Glasgow Coma Scale score was noted at 7T and multimodal monitoring with the Integra Licox brain tissue oxygen monitor and the Hemedex Bowman perfusion monitor was implemented, along with an external ventricular drain when a standard intracranial pressure monitor indicated increasing intracranial pressure. The patient's intracranial pressure normalized but he did require a course of antibiotics during this time for a fever and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The patient subsequently developed multifocal subdural empyemas requiring surgical evacuation. Postoperatively, the patient's intraoperative cultures remained without bacterial growth, likely related to the 2-week broad-spectrum antibiotic use.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, this is the first reported incidence of a subdural empyema developing in this setting. Although the safety profile of multimodal intracranial modeling is excellent, with increasing numbers of invasive bedside procedures, neurosurgeons must remain acutely vigilant for the development of infectious complications.