Clinical and paraclinical characteristics of bacterial meningitis in children. One study in ?ve reference centers in Bogota city

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: many difficulties exist to come to the diagnosis of the bacterial meningitis in children, by what it was decided to evaluate the diagnostic procedure that was following in different centers of Bogota city.

OBJECTIVES: to describe the clinical and diagnostic characteristics of children with diagnosis of bacterial meningitis in the period between January 1 and December 31, 2003.

METHODS: we carried out a descriptive retrospective study with patients with final diagnosis of bacterial meningitis in five reference centers in Bogota city; with ages between one month and 15 years,

RESULTS: we included 55 children from some Bogota hospitals: la Misericordia, San Rafael, Kennedy, San Ignacio and Clínica Colsubsidio. Symptoms were: fever in 92 %, vomit in 78%, and headache in 40 % and seizures in 30 %. 50% presented with meningeal syndrome. 26 % has had antibiotic tratment. Latex agglutination was done 65 %, and was negative in 70 % of cases. Gram’s stain was negative in 52 % of the patients. 55 per cent of the cultures were negative and the more frequently isolated was S. pneumonia. The hemocultives carried out in 38 patients (69 %) being negative in 65%. Only a patient died. The most used antibiotics ware ceftriaxon and vancomicyn.

CONCLUSIONS: confirmed cases of meningitis reach 50 %. The clinic is useful, being very frequent the presence of meningeal signs. The clinical criteria must be checked and laboratory aids used in the way to obtain a precise diagnosis.