Infections in Neurosurgery and Their Management

*Seyed Arad Senaobar Tahaei, Seyyed Ashkan Senobar Tahaei, Zoltan Mencser and Pal Barzo*

## **Abstract**

Surgical site and postoperative infections are common problems in surgical wards and treating them can be challenging and very complicated. It is important to understand different types of postoperative infections and their best management. In this chapter we try to emphasis on infections which are occurring in neurosurgical units and how to approach them. Foreign body infection is another challenge that happens in neurosurgical units, and it is vital to recognize these infections in time and start the treatment as soon as possible. Atypical infections occurrence is low therefore this problem is not addressed often in textbooks or in the literature, therefore atypical infections will be discussed in this chapter too. By discussing the most common postoperative complications and their best management profile, the authors here will try to widen the perspective of readers on infections in neurosurgical units in order to understand this problem better. Untreated infections or poorly treated infections can lead to sepsis and catastrophic results.

**Keywords:** post-operative infection, neurosurgical infection, CNS infections, septic cerebral embolization, subdural empyema, spondylodiscitis, epidural abscess, meningitis, atypical CNS infections, spinal infections
