PURPOSE: Topiramate is a novel antiepileptic drug, and is known to act as a glutamate receptor antagonist. Excitotoxicity by glutamate is also advocated as an arm of brain injury in bacterial meningitis. We sought to delineate whether topiramate could attenuate brain energy depletion during bacterial meningitis by near infrared spectroscopy monitoring. METHODS: Meningitis was induced by intracisternal injection of 108 colony forming units of Escherichia coli. Topiramate at a dose of 50 or 100 mg/kg was given to the piglets 30 minutes before the induction of meningitis. The piglets in the meningitis control group were not given topiramate. Cerebral blood volume, cerebral blood flow, and brain cell energy state were monitored for 6 hours by near infrared spectroscopy. RESULTS: 100 mg/kg of topiramate significantly attenuated the increase in intracranial pressure and leukocyte count in the cerebrospinal fluid during study period. Although statistically insignificant, there was a trend of decrease in cerebral blood volume as indicated by total hemoglobin and cerebral blood flow as indicated by oxidized hemoglobin. Deduced hemoglobin in the meningitis was attenuated by topiramate. Topiramate did not significantly affect the brain energy state as indicated by cytochrome aa3 during the 6 hours after the induction of meningitis. CONCLUSION: 100 mg/kg of topiramate significantly attenuated the inflammatory response in experimentally induced bacterial meningitis. However, there was no significant effect of topiramate on the brain cell energy metabolism during the early phase of experimental bacterial meningitis.
Arm ; Blood Volume ; Brain Injuries ; Brain* ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Electron Transport Complex IV ; Energy Metabolism* ; Escherichia coli* ; Escherichia* ; Glutamic Acid ; Intracranial Pressure ; Leukocyte Count ; Meningitis ; Meningitis, Bacterial ; Meningitis, Escherichia coli* ; Receptors, Glutamate ; Spectrum Analysis ; Stem Cells

Metastatic or septic endogenous endophthalmitis is a rare, but devastating complication of systemic septicemia. This condition may become more common as the number of chronically debilitated patients and the use of invasive procedures increase. Many etiologic organisms (gram-positive, gram-negative and fungi) and many clinical conditions (pyelonephritis, endocarditis, meningitis, pneumonia) have been reported to cause endogenous endophthalmitis. Risk factors include most of the known reasons for immune suppression and chronic illness. A high clinical suspicion is required in early diagnosis and treatment. Early antibiotics and vitrectomy are more widely accepted as therapeutic modalities.
Abscess* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Chronic Disease ; Early Diagnosis ; Endocarditis ; Endophthalmitis* ; Escherichia coli* ; Escherichia* ; Humans ; Meningitis ; Pneumonia* ; Risk Factors ; Sepsis* ; Vitrectomy

OBJECTIVETo characterize the incidence, epidemiologic features, etiologic agents and sequelae of bacterial meningitis in children under 5 years of age in Nanning, Guangxi.

METHODSA population-based surveillance was conducted to evaluate children with signs and symptoms of meningitis. All hospitals, township health centers and village clinics in the surveillance area were structured to participate in the case referral and evaluation. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood specimens were obtained and processed using standardized microbiologic methods.

RESULTSDuring the 26-month surveillance period, among the children under 5 years old, a total of 1272 cases who met the screening criteria of meningitis were studied. 265 of 1272 cases were identified as clinically diagnosed meningitis, with an incidence rate of 86.36 per 100 000 population. The annual incidence rate under the 38 cases of confirmed bacterial meningitis appeared to be 12.38/100 000. Staphylococcus species accounted for the largest proportion of laboratory-confirmed bacterial meningitis, followed by E. coli and S. pneumoniae. The highest attack rate occurred in neonates < 1 month, followed by children aged 1 - 12 months in the confirmed patients. Meningitis caused by Sp and Hi mainly occurred in children aged 1 - 12 months. All cases of meningitis due to Hi and Sp were children aged 1 - 24 months. 13.16% and 0.00% of the cases survived with complications and sequelae, and the case-fatality rate was 18.42%. 40 bacterial isolates were identified from 1193 blood cultures and 23 from 1211 cerebrospinal fluid samples, but no Neisseria meningitidis was found.

CONCLUSIONMeningitis due to Hi was first confirmed in Guangxi with the incidence of 0.98 per 100 000 population. The annual incidence rate of confirmed bacterial meningitis was 12.38 per 100 000, which was considered an important public health problem in children. Staphylococci was the predominant pathogen in confirmed bacterial meningitis.

Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Meningitis, Bacterial ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Meningitis, Escherichia coli ; epidemiology ; Meningitis, Haemophilus ; epidemiology ; Population Surveillance ; Staphylococcal Infections ; epidemiology

Diarrhea, Infantile ; etiology ; Escherichia coli ; isolation & purification ; Escherichia coli Infections ; complications ; diagnosis ; Female ; Fever ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Meningitis, Escherichia coli ; etiology ; Prognosis ; Sepsis ; complications ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the differences in clinical features of childhood purulent meningitis (PM) caused by Escherichia coli and Streptococcus pneumoniae, and to provide help for the selection of antibiotics for PM children with unknown etiology.

METHODSA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of children with PM caused by Escherichia coli (12 children) or Streptococcus pneumoniae (15 children).

RESULTSCompared with the Streptococcus pneumoniae infection group, the Escherichia coli infection group had a significantly higher proportion of children with an age of onset of <3 months and a significantly higher incidence rate of convulsion, but significantly lower incidence rates of severe fever (>39°C) and disturbance of consciousness and a significantly lower proportion of children with an increased leukocyte count at diagnosis (>12×10(9)/L). The results of routine cerebrospinal fluid test and biochemical examinations showed no significant differences between the two groups. Escherichia coli and Streptococcus pneumoniae were resistant to cephalosporins and had a sensitivity to chloramphenicol more than 90%. Escherichia coli was fully sensitive to meropenem and Streptococcus pneumoniae was fully sensitive to vancomycin.

CONCLUSIONSPM caused by Escherichia coli and Streptococcus pneumoniae has different clinical features. As for PM children with severe fever, disturbance of consciousness, and an increased leukocyte count, the probability of Streptococcus pneumoniae infection should be considered. For PM children with an age of onset of <3 months, medium- and low-grade fever, frequent convulsions, and a leukocyte count of <12×10(9)/L, the probability of Escherichia coli infection should be considered.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Meningitis, Escherichia coli ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Meningitis, Pneumococcal ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Retrospective Studies ; Suppuration

Advances in neonatal intensive care have improved the chances for survival of extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants. However, ELBW infants are at high risk of meningitis and resulting neurologic complications. The most common organisms associated with neonatal bacterial meningitis include Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and Group B Streptococcus. Bacillus cereus (B. cereus), an organism commonly found in soil, vegetation, and daily products, can sometimes cause meningitis owing to preformed toxins. We report a rare case of meningoencephalitis caused by B. cereus that resulted in a detrimental neurological outcome in an ELBW infant.
Bacillus cereus* ; Escherichia coli ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight* ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Listeria monocytogenes ; Meningitis ; Meningitis, Bacterial ; Meningoencephalitis* ; Soil ; Streptococcus

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the characteristics of febrile young infants with a serious bacterial infection (SBI) who visited emergency centers in Korea and validated the Philadelphia criteria and modified Philadelphia criteria to predict the risk of SBI. METHODS: This was a retrospective study conducted on 450 infants aged 31 days to 56 days who visited three emergency centers with fever from September 2014 to August 2017. The characteristics of the SBI patients were analyzed, and the validation of the Philadelphia and modified Philadelphia criteria sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy were checked. RESULTS: Of 450 patients, 165 patients (36.7%) had SBI, such as urinary tract infection (33.3%), bacteremia (4.0%), acute osteomyelitis (0.2%), and bacterial meningitis (BM) in two patients (0.4%). The most common pathogen of invasive bacterial infection was Escherichia coli. In the Philadelphia criteria, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy were 73.9%, 47.0%, 44.7%, 75.7%, and 56.9%, respectively. In the modified Philadelphia criteria that excluded lumbar puncture as a predictor, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy were 93.3%, 31.9%, 44.3%, 89.2%, and 54.4%, respectively. The most common failed low risk criteria was appearance (43.3%). Two patients with bacterial meningitis were excluded from low risk group by the modified Philadelphia criteria. Although one out of 2 patients met the failed low risk criteria due to their poor condition, this factor is not objective, so BM can be missed. CONCLUSION: Bacterial meningitis was too rare in this study. New criteria are needed to predict SBI. The Philadelphia and modified Philadelphia criteria were not useful for predicting SBI in this study. Other prediction models will be needed to predict SBI in the vaccination era.
Bacteremia ; Bacterial Infections ; Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Escherichia coli ; Fever ; Fibrinogen ; Humans ; Infant ; Korea ; Meningitis ; Meningitis, Bacterial ; Osteomyelitis ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Spinal Puncture ; Urinary Tract Infections ; Vaccination

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the causative organisms, clinical manifestations, and prognosis of pediatric patients with bacterial meningitis in Daejeon and Chungcheong area, occurred from 2006 to 2010. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients aged between 1 month and 15 years, diagnosed with bacterial meningitis at 8 university or general hospitals in Daejeon and Chungcheong area. The bacterial meningitis was defined by isolation of organism from cerebrospinal fluid(CSF). The data was collected from January 2006 to December 2010, and analyzed including patient's demographics, causative organisms, clinical presentation, laboratory findings and complications. RESULTS: During the 5-year study period, 24 patients were diagnosed with CSF culture-proven bacterial meningitis. The most common causative organism was Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae, 37.5%), and the others were group B streptococcus (GBS, 20.8%), Escherichia coli (E. coli, 16.7%), Neisseria meningitidis (N. meningitidis, 8.3%), Haemophilus influenzae (H. influenzae, 4.2%), respectively. They initially complained of fever (95.8%), vomiting (83.3%), anorexia (45.8%), seizure (29.2%), headache (20.8%). The leukocyte counts exceeding 1,000/mm3 in CSF was observed in 14 patients (58.3%). In 15 patients (62.5%), the glucose concentration in CSF was less than 50 mg/dL, 18 patients showed that the protein concentration in CSF was more than 100 mg/dL. Long-term neurologic sequelae were observed in 4 patients (16.7%) and described as hearing disturbance (2 patients), hemiparesis (1 patient) and endocrine dysfunction (1 patient). Ten patients (41.7%) showed abnormal neuroradiologic findings and the most common abnormalities was subdural effusion (25.0%). CONCLUSION: Compared to the previous study performed between 2001 and 2005, S. pneumonia continued to be the leading cause of the pediatric bacterial meningitis in Daejeon and Chungcheong area. The frequency of pneumococcal meningitis was not decreased, despite of the introduction of conjugated pneumococcal vaccination. On the other hand, H. influenzae meningitis was notably decreased.
Anorexia ; Demography ; Escherichia coli ; Fever ; Glucose ; Haemophilus influenzae ; Hand ; Headache ; Hearing ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Influenza, Human ; Leukocyte Count ; Medical Records ; Meningitis ; Meningitis, Bacterial* ; Meningitis, Pneumococcal ; Neisseria meningitidis ; Paresis ; Pneumonia ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Seizures ; Streptococcus ; Streptococcus pneumoniae ; Subdural Effusion ; Vaccination ; Vomiting

OBJECTIVETo analyze risk factors, clinical features, outcomes and antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli(E.coli) causing bloodstream infections in children.

METHODAll inpatients with E. coli positive blood culture in Beijing Children's Hospital from January 2012 to May 2014 were enrolled; 112 cases were included, 66 cases (58.9%) were male, and 46 cases(41.1%) were female. Age range was 2 days to 16 years. Among them, 43 cases (38.4%) were neonates, 19 cases (17.0%) aged from 1 month to 1 year, 14 cases (12.5%) were 1-3 years old, and 36 cases (32.1%) were over three years old. We analyzed the divisions to which the patients were admitted, source of infection, underlying diseases, clinical characteristics, antibiotic resistance, and treatment outcomes, etc.

RESULTForty-six cases (41.1%) were treated in division of hematology, 42 (37.5%) in neonatology, 9 (8.0%) in internal medicine, 8 (7.1%) in surgery, and 7 (6.3%) in pediatric intensive care unit. Sixty-five cases(58.0%) had underlying diseases. Fever was the most frequently presented symptom, as it was seen in 91 cases (81.3%); 52 cases(46.4%) had respiratory symptoms. Among these, 43 cases had pneumonia, 3 cases had respiratory failure, 3 cases were diagnosed as upper respiratory tract infection, 2 had pulmonary hemorrhage and 1 case had bronchitis. Twenty-six cases (23.2%)were diagnosed as severe sepsis and purulent meningitis separately, 14 cases(12.5%) had urinary tract infection. There were 73 (65.2%) strains inducing extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs), of which 6 (8.2%) and 10 (13.7%) strains were resistant to amikacin and carbapenems respectively. Resistance rate against other antimicrobial agents varied from 64.6% to 100%.

OUTCOMES92 (82.1%) cases were cured or had improvement while 20 patients (17.9%) died or could not be cured at the end of treatment. Positive ESBLs (χ(2) = 6.609, P = 0.010), being complicated with severe sepsis (χ(2) = 40.253, P = 0.000) and requiring mechanical ventilation (χ(2) = 34.441, P = 0.000) indicate poor prognosis.

CONCLUSIONPatients with underlying diseases and newborns are susceptible to E. coli bloodstream infection. ESBLs infection, severe sepsis and mechanical ventilation indicate poor prognosis in E. coli blood stream infection. Clinicians may use carbapenems as empirical treatment for ESBLs infection. There may be carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae strains infection if patients receiving treatment with carbapenems have no response.

Adolescent ; Bacteremia ; Carbapenems ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Escherichia coli ; drug effects ; Escherichia coli Infections ; blood ; drug therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Meningitis, Bacterial ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Pneumonia ; Urinary Tract Infections ; beta-Lactamases

OBJECTIVENeonatal purulent meningitis is a severe infection responsible for high mortality and disabling sequelae. Escherichia coli is the main pathogen of neonatal purulent meningitis. This study explored the clinical characteristics and antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli-induced neonatal meningitis.

METHODSA retrospective chart review was performed. A total of 31 cases of neonatal purulent meningitis caused by Escherichia coli were identified in the neonatal intensive care unit between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2011. The clinical characteristics and antibiotic sensitivity test results were analyzed.

RESULTSFever, poor feeding, lethargy and seizure were common clinical signs of neonatal purulent meningitis caused by Escherichia coli. Acute complications mainly included hyponatremia (17 cases), hydrocephalus (8 cases), subdural collection (2 cases), ventriculitis (2 cases) and cerebral infarction (1 case). Thirty neonates (97%) had increased CRP levels. Of the 31 patients, 14 cases were cured and 12 had adverse outcomes (5 patients died during hospitalization). Escherichia coli strains were resistant (>50%) to commonly used penicillins and cephalosporins between 2007 and 2011, presenting significantly higher resistance rates than between 2001 and 2006. The detection rate of extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs)-producing strains between 2007 and 2011 increased significantly compared with between 2001 and 2006 (57% vs 0).

CONCLUSIONSThe clinical manifestations of neonatal purulent meningitis caused by Escherichia coli are non specific. The outcome is poor. Monitoring of CRP levels is valuable for the early diagnosis of neonatal purulent meningitis. The antimicrobial resistance rates of Escherichia coli are increasing, especially to cephalosporins. The percentage of ESBLs-producing strains is increasing over the years.

C-Reactive Protein ; analysis ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Meningitis, Escherichia coli ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Retrospective Studies ; Suppuration ; drug therapy