PEDIATRICS Vol. 54 No. 3 September 1974, pp. 360-362
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow P3Rs: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when P3Rs are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Joyner, R. W.
Right arrow Articles by Wilfert, C. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Joyner, R. W.
Right arrow Articles by Wilfert, C. M.

Misinterpretation of Cerebrospinal Fluid Gram Stain

Ronald W. Joyner M.D., Ph.D.1, Ziad H. Idriss M.D.1, and Catherine M. Wilfert M.D.1

1 Departments of Pediatrics and Microbiology Duke University Medical Center Durham, North Carolina

Several causes for false-positive Gram stains of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) have been recorded previously! We report here an additional cause for misinterpretation of the cerebrospinal fluid Gram stain which is probably related to the use of an open needle to perform the lumbar puncture.

CASE REPORT

The patient was a 1,300-gm black female infant, delivered after a 33-week gestation, who developed mild respiratory distress and hyperbilirubinemia which resolved spontaneously within one week. She received penicillin G and kanamycin for her first five days of life because of apnea and bradycardia, but blood, urine, CSF, and a culture of the tracheal aspirate obtained prior to therapy were all negative for bacteria.