CEREBROSPINAL LACTATE STATUS IN CHILDHOOD PYOGENIC MENINGITIS IN NIGERIA

This study was undertaken to ascertain the status of cerebrospinal (CS F) lactate level in Nigerian children with pyogenic meningitis, Forty patients aged from 1 month to 12 years with proven meningitis were the subjects in the study which lasted 8 months, All the patients who had pyogenic meningitis had mean cerebrospinal lactate level over 25 mg/d l, The patients who recovered with neurological deficit had higher lev el of cerebrospinal lactate than those who recovered without any neuro logical deficit, on admission and on-discharge, although the differenc es were not statistically significant, The patients who died had persi stently high mean CSF lactate on admission and at death, The study sug gests that persistently elevated CSF lactate in cases of pyogenic meni ngitis receiving adequate antibiotic therapy might indicate poor progn osis with increased mortality, It is not being suggested that CSF lact ate determination should replace the conventional tests for meningitis , However, it can provide pertinent, rapid, and reliable diagnostic in formation, and can also provide useful evaluation information at diffe rent stages of treatment of proven meningitis with appropriate antibio tics.