Abstract
Records of 171 cases of bacterial meningitis admitted to Nottingham hospitals from January 1974 to June 1980 were reviewed. The distribution of organisms producing meningitis and the factors influencing mortality in different age groups were assessed. Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae and Streptococcus pneumoniae accounted for 69% of all proven cases. The overall mortality was 26% being lowest in patients with meningococcal meningitis (0%) and highest in those with pneumococcal meningitis (53%). The following factors were associated with a poor prognosis: age more than 40 years, or less than 2 months; state of consciousness on admission; high CSF protein concentration; and a positive blood culture. There was no evidence that antibiotic therapy prior to admission affected prognosis. Although many laboratory findings were altered by prior treatment with antibiotics, this did not prevent the establishment of a diagnosis in the individual patient.
Full text
PDF












Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Baird D. R., Whittle H. C., Greenwood B. M. Mortality from pneumococcal meningitis. Lancet. 1976 Dec 18;2(7999):1344–1346. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(76)91985-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- CARPENTER R. R., PETERSDORF R. G. The clinical spectrum of bacterial meningitis. Am J Med. 1962 Aug;33:262–275. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(62)90024-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Chattopadhyay B. Mortality from meningitis in a district general hospital--a review of 67 cases. Public Health. 1980 Mar;94(2):71–77. doi: 10.1016/s0033-3506(80)80117-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Converse G. M., Gwaltney J. M., Jr, Strassburg D. A., Hendley J. O. Alteration of cerebrospinal fluid findings by partial treatment of bacterial meningitis. J Pediatr. 1973 Aug;83(2):220–225. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3476(73)80479-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Davey P. G., Cruikshank J. K., McManus I. C., Mahood B., Snow M. H., Geddes A. M. Bacterial meningitis--ten years experience. J Hyg (Lond) 1982 Jun;88(3):383–401. doi: 10.1017/s002217240007025x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Farries J. S., Dickson W., Greenwood E., Malhotra T. R., Abbott J. D., Jones D. M. Meningococcal infections in Bolton, 1971-74. Lancet. 1975 Jul 19;2(7925):118–120. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(75)90016-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Geiseler P. J., Nelson K. E., Levin S. Community-acquired purulent meningitis of unknown etiology. A continuing problem. Arch Neurol. 1981 Dec;38(12):749–753. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1981.00510120049006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Geiseler P. J., Nelson K. E., Levin S., Reddi K. T., Moses V. K. Community-acquired purulent meningitis: a review of 1,316 cases during the antibiotic era, 1954-1976. Rev Infect Dis. 1980 Sep-Oct;2(5):725–745. doi: 10.1093/clinids/2.5.725. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Goldacre M. J. Acute bacterial maningitis in childhood: aspects of prehospital care in 687 cases. Arch Dis Child. 1977 Jun;52(6):501–503. doi: 10.1136/adc.52.6.501. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Goldacre M. J. Acute bacterial meningitis in childhood. Incidence and mortality in a defined population. Lancet. 1976 Jan 3;1(7949):28–31. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(76)92921-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Heckmatt J. Z. Coliform meningitis in the newborn. Arch Dis Child. 1976 Aug;51(8):569–575. doi: 10.1136/adc.51.8.569. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hodges G. R., Perkins R. L. Acute bacterial meningitis: an analysis of factors influencing prognosis. Am J Med Sci. 1975 Nov-Dec;270(3):427–440. doi: 10.1097/00000441-197511000-00003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Jarvis C. W., Saxena K. M. Does prior antibiotic treatment hamper the diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis? An analysis of a series of 135 childhood cases. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 1972 Apr;11(4):201–204. doi: 10.1177/000992287201100406. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kaiser A. B., McGee Z. A. Aminoglycoside therapy of gram-negative bacillary meningitis. N Engl J Med. 1975 Dec 11;293(24):1215–1220. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197512112932401. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kennedy D. H., Fallon R. J. Tuberculous meningitis. JAMA. 1979 Jan 19;241(3):264–268. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Landesman S. H., Corrado M. L., Shah P. M., Armengaud M., Barza M., Cherubin C. E. Past and current roles for cephalosporin antibiotics in treatment of meningitis. Emphasis on use in gram-negative bacillary meningitis. Am J Med. 1981 Oct;71(4):693–703. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(81)90240-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Laxer R. M., Marks M. I. Pneumococcal meningitis in children. Am J Dis Child. 1977 Aug;131(8):850–853. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1977.02120210028004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mandal B. K. The dilemma of partially treated bacterial meningitis. Scand J Infect Dis. 1976;8(3):185–188. doi: 10.3109/inf.1976.8.issue-3.12. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- McCracken G. H., Jr, Mize S. G., Threlkeld N. Intraventricular gentamicin therapy in gram-negative bacillary meningitis of infancy. Report of the Second Neonatal Meningitis Cooperative Study Group. Lancet. 1980 Apr 12;1(8172):787–791. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Pickens S., Sangster G., Gray J. A., Murdoch J. M. The effects of pre-admission antibiotics on the bacteriological diagnosis of pyogenic meningitis. Scand J Infect Dis. 1978;10(3):183–185. doi: 10.3109/inf.1978.10.issue-3.05. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- QUAADE F., KRISTENSEN K. P. Purulent meningitis. A review of 658 cases. Acta Med Scand. 1962 May;171:543–550. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rahal J. J., Jr, Simberkoff M. S. Bactericidal and bacteriostatic action of chloramphenicol against memingeal pathogens. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1979 Jul;16(1):13–18. doi: 10.1128/aac.16.1.13. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Romer F. K. Bacterial meningitis: A 15-year review of bacterial meningitis from departments of internal medicine. Dan Med Bull. 1977 Feb;24(1):35–40. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Romer F. K. Difficulties in the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. Evaluation of antibiotic pretreatment and causes of admission to hospital. Lancet. 1977 Aug 13;2(8033):345–347. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(77)91498-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- SWARTZ M. N., DODGE P. R. BACTERIAL MENINGITIS--A REVIEW OF SELECTED ASPECTS. 1. GENERAL CLINICAL FEATURES, SPECIAL PROBLEMS AND UNUSUAL MENINGEAL REACTIONS MIMICKING BACTERIAL MENINGITIS. N Engl J Med. 1965 Apr 8;272:725–CONTD. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196504082721406. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Swartz M. N. Intraventricular use of aminoglycosides in the treatment of gram-negative bacillary meningitis: conflicting views. J Infect Dis. 1981 Feb;143(2):293–296. doi: 10.1093/infdis/143.2.293. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ware S. J., McLaughlin S. Haemophilus meningitis in Portsmouth. Lancet. 1978 Jul 22;2(8082):197–199. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(78)91933-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Weiss W., Figueroa W., Shapiro W. H., Flippin H. F. Prognostic factors in pneumococcal meningitis. Arch Intern Med. 1967 Nov;120(5):517–524. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]