title: Childhood bacterial meningitis in Kuwait.
abstract: A total of 110 cases of bacterial meningitis were studied over a 7-year period. The attack rate was 3.2/100,000 overall and 13/100,000 in children under 12 years. Haemophilus influenzae was the most common pathogen (44.3%), followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae (20.9%) and Neisseria meningitidis (12.7%). The mean patient age was 2.7 years, but 44/49 cases of H. influenzae meningitis were in children under 2 years, an attack rate of 31/100,000. The mortality was 22.4% for neonates and 6.5% for other children, and was associated with coma at presentation and unusual microorganisms. Neurological sequelae were detected in 19% of surviving children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Farwania Hospital, Safat, Kuwait.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zaki
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Daoud
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: ElSaleh
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: West
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007730:Kuwait / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008583:Meningitis, Haemophilus / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D008586:Meningitis, Pneumococcal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D012621:Seasons