CHILDHOOD BACTERIAL-MENINGITIS IN SAUDI-ARABIA

This study analysed the bacterial aetiology and outcome of childhood m eningitis observed over an 11-year period, Charts of 70 children with this diagnosis were reviewed, Three children were under 1 month of age , five were between 1 and 3 months and 60 were between 3 months and 5 years. The remaining two were over 5 gears. There were 36 females and 34 males. The presenting symptoms in decreasing order of frequency wer e fever 86%, vomiting 29%, poor feeding 19%, seizure 14% and lethargy 14%. Aetiological organisms were as follows: Haemophilus influenzae 66 %, Streptococcus pneumoniae 24%, Neisseria meningitidis 4%, Group B St reptococci 4%, and Staphylococcus aureus 2%, All H. influenzae isolate s except one were sensitive to ampicillin, None of the S. pneumoniae i solates were resistant to penicillin, Complications occurred in 26% of the patients and included subdural effusion 23%, hearing loss 14%, se izure disorder 10%, developmental delay 9%, hydrocephalus 6% and motor deficit 3%, One patient died, Among H. influenzae cases, one of the 1 5 patients treated with steroids developed hearing loss. In contrast, four out of 31 who did not receive steroid therapy suffered from heari ng loss, Haemophilus influenzae type b is the predominant cause of chi ldhood bacterial meningitis in Saudi Arabia, Universal H. influenzae t ype b vaccination for children is highly recommended.