Predicting neurological complications following acute bacterial meningitis in children versus adults

Abstract EN

This study determined the predictors for neurological complications of bacterial meningitis in children versus adult patients.

This is a prospective study that enrolled 155 Egyptian patients with suspected acute bacterial meningitis (80 children less than 16 years and 75 adults more than 16 years) , treated for bacterial meningitis in Shebin El-kom Fever Hospital.

Nine relevant predictors were chosen to analyze their association with the incidence of neurological complications.

P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant .Of 80 children, who were treated for bact-erial meningitis, 8 children developed neurological complications (10%) without children death (0%).

The most important predictors for neurological complications in pediatric patients with bacterial meningitis were: age < 1 year (6.3%), seizures on admission (42.9%), CSF leucocytic count > 1000/mm3 (21%).

Of 75 adults who were treated for bacterial meningitis, 10 developed neurological complications (13.3%) and seven patients died (9.3%).

The most important predictors for neurological complications in adults with bacterial meningitis were seizures on admission (20%), the presence of co-morbidities (22.2%), CSF leucocytic count < 1000/mm3 (14.7%).

The seizures on admission, the presence of co-morbidities, CSF leucocytic count < 1000/mm3 proved to be the strongest predictors for neurological complications of bacterial meningitis in adult patients, on the other hand, age < 1 year, seizures at admission ,CSF leucocytic count > 1000/mm3 proved to be the strongest predictors for neurological complica-tions of bacterial meningitis in children and valuable to select patients for more intensive therapy.