CLINICOEPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY OF BACTERIAL-M ENINGITIS IN ARAGON (SPAIN)

Background: The aim of the present study was to know the incidence, et iology, prognostic factors and rate of mortality of bacterial meningit is in Aragon (Spain). Methods: The clinical records of all the patient s with bacterial meningitis seen in the hospitals in Aragon (Spain), f rom 1985 to 1988 inclusive were reviewed. Results: The mean of the ann ual rates of incidence for Aragon (Spain) was 7.52/100,000 inhabitants , In patients under the age of 15 years the most frequent etiologies w ere Neisseria meningitidis (59.0%), Haemophilus influenzae (13.7%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (9.4%); the global rate of mortality was 3.5 % similar to that of sequelae. In those over the age of 14 years, the most frequent etiologies were N. meningitidis (33%), S. pneumoniae (18 .4%) and Staphylococcus spp, (13.6%); the rate of global mortality was 19.5% and that of sequelae 10.8% with resistence of S. neumoniae to p enicillin and/or ampicillin in 45.5% of the cases in children and in 2 6.3% in adults. No significant evolutive differences related with the existence of resistences or the administration of antibiotics prior to lumbar punction were observed in any of the age groups. Conclusions: N. meningitidis is the main etiologic agent in Aragon in both children and adults, The greatest rates of mortality and sequelae were observe d in the youngest and oldest age groups with a similar relation being seen in infection by gramnegative bacilli and S. pneumonlae, thus maki ng these patients to be considered as being at high risk.