Meningitis in children of early age. Criteria for early diagnostics

Meningitis is characterized by the prevalence of severe forms and it is often accompanied by life-threatening syndromes.

Purpose. To determine the most informative clinical manifestations of meningitis in children in their first years of life to optimize early diagnosis and treatment.

Materials and methods. The authors carried out a retrospective analytical study involving 47 cases of children hospitalized to the Republican Clinical Hospital for Infectious Diseases in 2014–2016. Their diagnose was based on the acute onset of the disease, characteristic clinical symptoms and the results of lumbar puncture. The laboratory diagnostics included a standard set of examinations.

Results. Meningitis was diagnosed in 34 patients (72.3%), meningoencephalitis – in 13 patients (27.7%). 30 cases (63.8%) of meningitis / meningoencephalitis had a bacterial nature, and 9 cases (19.1%; p<0.01) had a viral nature. The most common bacterial pathogens of meningitis was Pneumococcus (10 cases), hemophilus bacillus (8). Str. agalactiae (6) and meningococcus (6). 38 (80.9%) patients had high febrile fever, 1005 of patients had weakness, drowsiness, changes in consciousness of varying severity, 29 patients (61.7%) had vomiting, 16 patients ( 34%) – headache, “brain” cry, 7 patients (15%) – hyperesthesia, a symptom of “mother’s hands”, 4 patients (8.5%) – forced posture, 34 patients (72.3%) had meningeal signs.

Conclusion. The most significant symptoms of early diagnosis of meningitis in children are high febrile fever combined with drowsiness and retardation, vomiting without diarrhea.

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