title: Pattern and antibiotic susceptibility of bacteria in pyogenic meningitis in a children's emergency room population in Maiduguri, Nigeria, 1988-1992.
abstract: From January 1988 to November 1992, 107 (3.5%) of 3074 postneonatal children admitted to the Children's Emergency Room, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, had sporadic pyogenic meningitis; 66 (61.7%) were aged < or = 12 months. Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis and Haemophilus influenzae together were responsible for 77.3% (58) of 75 culture-proven cases, 13.4% (10) had Enterobacteriaceae, 5.3% (4) had Staphylococcus aureus and 4% (3) untyped alpha-haemolytic streptococci. Fifty percent of 62 bacteria were resistant to ampicillin, 47.2% of 36 to penicillin and 10.7% of 56 to chloramphenicol; none of 21 bacteria was simultaneously resistant to all three antibiotics. Up until 1992, we have encountered treatment failure with a regimen containing chloramphenicol in only 2 of 53 patients; the 2 patients had coliform meningitis. Non-meningococcal bacteria are an important cause of sporadic pyogenic meningitis in sub-Saharan Nigeria and chloramphenicol is the most appropriate initial drug of choice at the present time for the management of sporadic meningitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.
authors.forename: G O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Akpede
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Adeyemi
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Abba
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Sykes
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013492:Suppuration; D017211:Treatment Failure
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents