Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: July-September | Volume: 4 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 51-59
Incidence, Clinical Profile and Etiology of Meningitis in Term Neonates with Clinical Sepsis
Dr. Abu Mohammed Ismail1, Dr. Syed Quadri2
1Consultant Paediatrician, Chatham Kent Health alliance Hospital, 80 grand avenue west Chatham Ontario, Canada, N7M5L9
2Registrar-Dept of Paediatrics, Limerick Regional Hospital
Corresponding Author: Dr. Abu Mohammed Ismail
ABSTRACT
Background: Sepsis is the commonest cause of neonatal mortality globally and is responsible for about 3–50% of the total neonatal deaths in the developing countries. Meningitis complicates 20% cases of early-onset and 10% cases of late onset sepsis. Although the mortality of neonatal bacterial meningitis has declined from 60% in early 1950-60s to around 10%, the morbidity is still as high as 50% in the survivors. So, it is important that neonatal meningitis must be diagnosed as early as possible.
Objective: To determine the incidence of meningitis in term neonates with clinical sepsis.
Materials and methods: Prospective hospital based time bound study conducted at Paediatric Department, limerick regional Hospital from 01-01-2013 to 31-12-2013.Term neonates admitted to NICU, limerick regional Hospital with “clinical sepsis” were evaluated and a set of investigations in relation to sepsis were done.
Lumbar puncture was performed and CSF was subjected for cytological and biochemical analysis for diagnosis of meningitis.
Statistical analysis: Data was entered in Microsoft Excel 2013analysed using SPSS software for Windows, version 22.0 and categorical tables, mean, median, Chi-square values, p value and the results correlated.
Results: In newborns with clinical sepsis (100 cases), meningitis was diagnosed in 9 (9%) cases, who met CSF cytological and biochemical criteria. CSF culture was positive in 6(33.33%) meningitis cases.
Conclusion: Meningitis was diagnosed in 9% clinical sepsis cases. There was a male preponderance. Meningitis was common in late onset sepsis cases. More multi-centric studies are required to revise the CSF cytological criteria for meningitis diagnosis.
Key words: Neonatal Meningitis; Term neonates; Clinical sepsis; CSF analysis.