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Causes and outcome of bacterial meningitis in Malawian children


EM Molyneux
AL Walsh
H Forsyth
M Tembo
J Mwenechanya
K Kayira
L Bwanaisa
A Njobvu
G Malenga

Abstract

598 children with bacterial meningitis were admitted to the paediatric wards of the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH), Blantyre, Malawi from July 1997 – March 2001. Patients were followed up at 1 and 6 months after hospital discharge when physical, neurological, developmental and hearing assessments were made. The most common causes of pyogenic meningitis were Streptococcus pneumoniae (40%), Haemophilus influenzae type b (28%), Neisseria meningitidis (11%), Salmonella species (5%). There was no growth on culture in 13% of cases. The overall mortality was 31% and 38% were left with significant sequelae. Indicators for a poor prognosis were younger age, lower coma score on admission, bacterial cause, nutritional status and HIV positivity.


[Malawi Med J, Vol.15(2) 2003: 43-46]

Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 1995-7262
print ISSN: 1995-7270