OBJECTIVETo evaluate the curative effect of external lumbar drainage combined with empirical antibiotics treatment on the postoperative culture negative meningitis.

METHODSThe clinical data of eighty post-operative meningitis patients with cerebrospinal fluid culture negative were retrospectively analyzed according to inclusive and exclusive criteria from January 2013 to December 2014 in Department of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Huanhu Hospital. All patients were composed of 45 male cases and 35 female cases, aging from 9 to 72 years. All patients were divided into two groups according to receiving the different treatment: one group only receiving a intravenously empirical antibiotics treatment (n=40), another group receiving a combined therapy of external lumbar drainage and intravenously empirical antibiotics treatment (n=40). The volume of drainage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were set up from 200 to 300 ml per day. There was no difference in the dosage and interval of the same antibiotics between two groups. The antibiotics usage and therapeutic effect of two groups of patients were observed and analyzed by t-test, Wilcoxon rank test or χ(2) test.

RESULTSThe rate of CSF bacterial culture negative was 62.9% (88/140) in the same period. In group of empirical antibiotics treatment, the time of antibiotics treatment was (12.6±3.1) days, the rate of combined with other antibiotics treatment was 40.0% (16/40), the rate of mortality was 15.0% (6/40). However, in group of external lumbar drainage combined with empirical antibiotics treatment, the 3 data were (5.3±1.2) days, 10.0% (4/40), 7.5% (3/40), respectively. The time of antibiotics of the group of empirical antibiotics was longer (t=3.605, P=0.017), while the rate of combined antibiotics and the rate of mortality were lower (χ(2)=3.971, P=0.035; χ(2)=4.136, P=0.027, respectively). The average drainage time was (5.8±1.5) days, 32 patients gained a complete healing only by their first placement, 5 cases need replacement because of occlusion or drainage time more than 14 days. There were no recurrence cases after 3 months' follow-up.

CONCLUSIONSThe method of external lumbar drainage combined with empirical antibiotics treatment can significantly reduce the dosage and course of antibiotics treatment. It is a simple, safe, efficacious method for the treatment of neurosurgical postoperative bacterial culture negative meningitis.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Drainage ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Meningitis ; drug therapy ; therapy ; Middle Aged ; Neurosurgical Procedures ; Postoperative Complications ; drug therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Aged ; Aneurysm/surgery ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; Brain Diseases/surgery ; Craniotomy/adverse effects ; DNA, Bacterial/chemistry/genetics/metabolism ; Female ; Flavobacteriaceae Infections/etiology/microbiology ; Flavobacterium/classification/drug effects/*isolation & purification ; Humans ; Meningitis/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Phylogeny ; Postoperative Complications ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

OBJECTIVETo study the differences in the clinical features of purulent meningitis (PM) between small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) infants.

METHODSThe clinical data of 58 full-term infants with PM were analyzed retrospectively. The infants were classified into a SGA group (13 cases) and an AGA group (45 cases) according to their birth weight and gestational age. Clinical manifestations, laboratory results, and outcomes were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThe incidence of decreased muscle tone in the SGA group was significantly higher than that in the AGA group (P<0.05); the positive rate in the Pandy's test for cerebrospinal fluid in the SGA group was significantly higher than that in the SGA group (P<0.05). Brain imaging examination showed that the incidence of brain injuries in the SGA group was significantly higher than that in the AGA group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSSGA infants with PM display a higher risk of brain injury, suggesting a poorer outcome, compared with AGA infants.

Brain Injuries ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Small for Gestational Age ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Meningitis, Bacterial ; complications ; Retrospective Studies ; Suppuration

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical features, treatment, and prognosis of purulent meningitis (PM) in children.

METHODSA retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 317 children with PM aged from 1 month to 15 years.

RESULTSPM was commonly seen in infants (198 cases, 62.6%). Most children with PM had preceding respiratory infection (171 cases, 53.9%). The major clinical manifestations of PM were fever, convulsions, and intracranial hypertension, and convulsions were more commonly seen in infants (152 cases, 93.6%). The major complication was subdural effusion (95 cases, 29.9%). Of the 95 cases of subdural effusion, 22 cases were diagnosed by subdural puncture; 68 cases underwent subdural puncture and 62 cases restored to normal temperature 3-5 days after puncture. Risk factors associated with complications and sequelae were young age and protein≥1 g/L in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (OR=0.518, 1.524 respectively; P<0.05). The third-generation cephalosporins were the first choice for PM, and vancomycin or carbapenems were replacement therapy. Thirteen (14.4%) out of 90 children had delayed cerebral vasculitis during a follow-up visit within 3 months after discharge.

CONCLUSIONSPM is more commonly seen in infants, and the infants have a high incidence of convulsions. Young age and protein≥1 g/L in CSF may increase the risk of complications and sequelae. Subdural puncture is not only a diagnostic method but also a therapy for subdural effusion. Some children have delayed cerebral vasculitis during a follow-up visit within 3 months after discharge, so follow-up visits should be performed within 3 months after discharge.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Meningitis, Bacterial ; complications ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Suppuration ; microbiology

Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Meningitis, Bacterial ; etiology ; Streptococcal Infections ; complications ; Streptococcus agalactiae

We describe a group of 3 cases of invasive meningococcal disease that occurred in a military training camp in April 2011. All three patients were hospitalized. Ultimately, two patients recovered and one died. One patient had meningitis, one patient had septicemia and meningitis, and the other had no definite septicemia or meningitis. Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W-135 was detected in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of all patients by real-time polymerase chain reaction. In the one case of mortality, two strains were isolated from the patient's blood and CSF. Using multilocus sequence typing analysis, these strains were identified as a novel sequence type, ST-8912. Special attention is required for the meningococcal disease in military camp because the military personnels are in high risk of contact transmission.
DNA, Bacterial/blood/cerebrospinal fluid ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Humans ; Male ; Meningitis/complications/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Military Personnel ; Multilocus Sequence Typing ; Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup W-135/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sepsis/complications/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical characteristics, antibiotics sensitivity and outcome of group B streptococcus (GBS) meningitis in neonates in order to provide the guide for early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

METHODA retrospective review was performed and a total of 13 cases of neonatal purulent meningitis caused by GBS were identified in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from January 1, 2005 to May 31, 2013. The clinical characteristics, antibiotics sensitivity test results and outcome were analyzed.

RESULTFever, poor feeding, seizure and lethargy were common clinical signs of neonatal purulent meningitis caused by GBS. Three cases of early onset GBS meningitis received prepartum antibiotics. All 13 cases had abnormal C-reactive protein (CRP) level, and 11 cases had increased CRP within hours after admission. Of the 13 patients, 7 were cured, 4 discharged with improvement, 2 patients died during hospitalization after being given up because of serious complication. The average length of stay for recovered patients was (47 ± 21)d. Acute complications mainly included hyponatremia (5 cases), intracranial hemorrhage (3 cases) , ventriculomegaly (3 cases) , subdural collection (2 cases) , hydrocephalus (2 cases), septic shock (2 cases), cerebral hernia (1 case), encephalomalacia (1 case). One preterm patient with early onset GBS meningitis died 1 month after hospital discharge. Among 7 survivors with 10-24 months follow-up, 3 were early onset GBS meningitis, 2 with normal results of neurologic examination, 1 with delayed motor development, 4 were late onset GBS meningitis, 1 with normal results of neurologic examination, 3 were neurologically impaired with manifestations including delayed motor development (2 cases) and seizures (1 case). All the GBS strains were sensitive to penicillin and linezolid (13/13, 10/10), the susceptibility to levofloxacin, ampicillin and vancomycin were 11/12, 9/10, 8/13 respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe clinical manifestations of neonatal purulent meningitis caused by GBS are usually non-specific. It is associated with long hospitalization, neurological impairments and sequelae. Monitoring of serum CRP level is valuable for early diagnosis. Antepartum prophylaxis, early diagnosis and therapy are vital. Large dose penicillin is the priority choice to treat the neonatal purulent meningitis caused by GBS, linezolid should be used in intractable cases.

Anti-Bacterial Agents ; therapeutic use ; C-Reactive Protein ; analysis ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Female ; Fever ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hyponatremia ; etiology ; Infant, Newborn ; Leukocyte Count ; Male ; Meningitis, Bacterial ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Penicillins ; therapeutic use ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious ; Retrospective Studies ; Streptococcal Infections ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Streptococcus agalactiae

Streptococcus pneumoniae can asymptomatically colonize the nasopharynx and cause a diverse range of illnesses. This clinical spectrum from colonization to invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) appears to depend on the pneumococcal capsular serotype rather than the genetic background. According to a literature review, serotypes 1, 4, 5, 7F, 8, 12F, 14, 18C, and 19A are more likely to cause IPD. Although serotypes 1 and 19A are the predominant causes of invasive pneumococcal pneumonia, serotype 14 remains one of the most common etiologic agents of non-bacteremic pneumonia in adults, even after 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) introduction. Serotypes 1, 3, and 19A pneumococci are likely to cause empyema and hemolytic uremic syndrome. Serotype 1 pneumococcal meningitis is prevalent in the African meningitis belt, with a high fatality rate. In contrast to the capsule type, genotype is more closely associated with antibiotic resistance. CC320/271 strains expressing serotype 19A are multidrug-resistant (MDR) and prevalent worldwide in the era of PCV7. Several clones of MDR serotype 6C pneumococci emerged, and a MDR 6D clone (ST282) has been identified in Korea. Since the pneumococcal epidemiology of capsule types varies geographically and temporally, a nationwide serosurveillance system is vital to establishing appropriate vaccination strategies for each country.
Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial ; Empyema/etiology ; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome/etiology ; Humans ; Meningitis/etiology ; Peritonitis/etiology ; Pneumococcal Infections/complications/*immunology ; Pneumonia, Pneumococcal/immunology ; Serotyping ; Streptococcus pneumoniae/*classification/pathogenicity

Strongyloides stercoralis is a soil transmitted intestinal nematode that is endemic in the tropical and subtropical regions. In most individuals who are infected, chronic, usually asymptomatic, gastrointestinal infection persists. But, in immunocompromized hosts or in patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy, autoinfection of S. stercoralis may result in the dissemination of larvae, leading to fatal hyperinfection and increased rate of complications. We report a case of hyperinfective strongyloidiasis with bacterial meningitis in a patient receiving steroid therapy. Strongyloidiasis was diagnosed by the presence of filariform larvae of S. stercoralis in the bronchoalveolar lavage cytology and upper gastrointestinal endoscopic biopsy specimen. Her clinical symptoms had progressively aggravated and developed bacterial meningitis during treatment. She died despite aggressive antibiotic and antihelminthic therapy.
Adrenal Insufficiency/drug therapy ; Aged ; Animals ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid/parasitology ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Enterococcus faecium/isolation & purification ; Female ; Humans ; Immunocompromised Host ; Intestinal Mucosa/pathology ; Larva/physiology ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Meningitis, Bacterial/complications/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Steroids/adverse effects/therapeutic use ; Strongyloides stercoralis/growth & development/isolation & purification ; Strongyloidiasis/complications/*diagnosis/parasitology

Streptococcus suis infection is an emerging zoonosis in Asia. The most common disease manifestation is meningitis, which is often associated with hearing loss and cochleovestibular signs. S. suis infection in humans mainly occurs among risk groups that have frequent exposure to pigs or raw pork. Here, we report a case of S. suis meningitis in a 67-yr-old pig carcass handler, who presented with dizziness and sensorineural hearing loss followed by headaches. Gram-positive diplococci were isolated from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood cultures and showed gray-white colonies with alpha-hemolysis. S. suis was identified from CSF and blood cultures by using a Vitek 2 system (bioMerieux, France), API 20 STREP (bioMerieux), and performing 16S rRNA and tuf gene sequencing. Even after receiving antibiotic treatment, patients with S. suis infection frequently show complications such as hearing impairment and vestibular dysfunction. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of S. suis meningitis in Korea. Prevention through public health surveillance is recommended, especially for individuals who have occupational exposures to swine and raw pork.
Aged ; Animals ; Bacterial Proteins/genetics ; Blood/microbiology ; Cerebrospinal Fluid/microbiology ; Hearing Loss, Bilateral/complications/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Humans ; Male ; Meningitis, Bacterial/complications/*diagnosis/microbiology ; Phylogeny ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Streptococcus suis/classification/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Swine ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed