Longitudinal outcomes of Haemophilus influenzae meningitis in school-age children

The purpose of this study was to investigate long-term outcomes of Haemophi lus influenzae Type b meningitis in a cohort of school-age survivors. Findi ngs from an initial assessment at mean age 10 years revealed neuropsycholog ical, achievement, and behavioral sequelae in the children with neurologic complications during the acute-phase illness (H. Taylor, C. Schatschneider, & D. Rich, 1992). Here, the cohort was reassessed I and 2 years after the initial evaluation to investigate age-related influences on disease sequela e. After excluding children with hearing loss, the sample was divided into 2 groups: an affected group of 39 children with acute-phase neurologic comp lications and an unaffected group of 73 children without these complication s. Growth-curve modeling showed poorer outcomes at the final assessment and less rapid improvement at follow-up for the affected group. Later age at a ssessment and later age at illness were associated with larger group differ ences in some outcomes. Results suggest that children with diffuse early br ain insults are at risk for later-emerging sequelae.