Bacterial meningitis in Arizona American Indian children.
Bacterial meningitis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Arizona infants and children. A retrospective review of 102 cases of meningitis occurring in the American Indian population documents the prevalence of the Haemophilus influenzae organism with a peak incidence in the first year of life. The rate of H influenzae resistance to ampicillin was 16%. Overall morbidity and mortality rates are comparable with reviews of diverse populations, but there is an exceptional mortality and prolonged hospitalization in patients less than 1 year of age. The development of an efficacious vaccine against H influenzae may substantially reduce and prevent this cause of meningitis.
D000293:Adolescent; D001130:Arizona; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008583:Meningitis, Haemophilus / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D008586:Meningitis, Pneumococcal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies