title: Klebsiella pneumoniae meningitis: prognostic factors.
abstract: All 42 cases of Klebsiella pneumoniae meningitis diagnosed between 1981 and 1991 were evaluated. These accounted for 13% of patients with blood and/or cerebrospinal fluid culture-proven bacterial meningitis. There was an increased incidence of K. pneumoniae meningitis from the first 6 years of study (7%) to the last 5 years (16%). K. pneumoniae became increasingly important not only in community-acquired meningitis but also in nosocomial meningitis. 12/13 nosocomial cases were patients who had undergone neurosurgical procedures. The overall mortality rate was 43%. The mortality rate in patients with spontaneous meningitis was higher than that in patients with post-traumatic or postoperative meningitis. Factors that adversely affected mortality were age over 60, diabetes mellitus, and severe neurological deficits on admission. The use of third-generation cephalosporins did not reduce the mortality rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007710:Klebsiella Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D002511:Cephalosporins