Comparative analysis of linezolid, vancomycin, and hyperbaric oxygen therapies in a rat model of ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection

Purpose Staphylococcus epidermidis is the most common causative microorganism of ventriculoperitoneal shunt infections. This study aimed to compare linezolid and vancomycin treatments and to examine the effect of these antibiotics alone and combined with hyperbaric oxygen therapy on the amount of bacterial colonies in the experimental S. epidermidis shunt infection model. Methods A shunt catheter was placed in the cisterna magna of 49 adult male Wistar albino rats. The rats were randomly divided into seven groups, as follows: sterile control, infected control, vancomycin, linezolid, hyperbaric oxygen, vancomycin + hyperbaric oxygen, linezolid + hyperbaric oxygen. In all groups except the sterile control group, 0.2 ml 10 7 CFU/mL S. epidermidis was inoculated to the cisterna magna. Parenteral vancomycin was administered 40 mg/kg/day to the vancomycin groups, and 50 mg/kg/day of enteral linezolid to the linezolid groups. Hyperbaric oxygen groups were given 100% oxygen at a pressure of 2.4 ATA for 50 min a day. One day after the last treatment, colony quantities in the shunt catheters and CSF were analyzed. Results The number of CSF colonies in the linezolid group was significantly lower than in the vancomycin group ( p < 0.05). The number of CSF colonies in the linezolid + HBO group was significantly lower than in the vancomycin + HBO group ( p < 0.05). Conclusions Linezolid treatment was found to be more effective than vancomycin in ventriculoperitoneal shunt infection caused by S. epidermidis . There was no statistical difference among other treatment groups. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is shown to contribute to the sterilization of cultures.