Undiagnosed bacterial meningitis in Vermont children.
Community-acquired bacterial meningitis in Vermont children under 5 years of age was recognized less frequently in 1967-1970 in those towns with low total hospitalization rates than in towns with hospitalization rates above 15 admissions per 100 population. Using the towns with high hospitalization rates as a norm, it was found that towns with fewer recognized meningitis cases than expected had significantly greater rates of death from obscure causes in children 1-59 months of age in 1967-1970. It is suggested that about 17 deaths in 1967-1970 in Vermont children 1-59 months of age were associated with the failure to recognize bacterial meningitis in children from towns with low rates of medical care utilization.
D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008581:Meningitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D014707:Vermont