Bacterial Meningitis in children

Abstract

to study the demographic features yield of gram staining cerebrospinal fluid culture and etiological pattern of bacterial meningitis in children of 2 months to 12 years. A hospital based prospective and descriptive study was carried out at the department of paediatrics, LRH, Peshawar. All those children in the age group between 2 months to 12 years having clinical suspicion of meningitis and cerebrospinal findings suggestive of meningitis i.e. > 10 x10 WBC/L and /or CSF sugar <40mg% or (50% of the circulating blood sugar) and /or CSF protein > 80mg% were included in the study. Children having history of intake of antibiotic in the last 5 days which can cross the blood brain barrier and children with tuberculous meningitis were excluded. Bacterial meningitis is the major cause of morjbidity in children below the age of 5 years. The yield of gram staining and culture though comparable with the national studies but lower than reported internationally. S Pneumoniae, N Meningitides and H Influenzae are the three most commo0n causes of Bacterial Meningitis in our children as reported nationally and internationally.