Acute bacterial meningitis in a developing country: diagnosis related mortality among paediatric patients.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of late diagnosis and other factors on outcome of paediatric bacterial meningitis (BM) and recommend appropriate intervention.


METHODS
Case series.


METHODS
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria.


METHODS
62 consecutive BM patients aged two months to 16 years admitted between 1991 and 1994.


METHODS
Mortality rate.


RESULTS
Diagnostic difficulties experienced in 58% of cases and other factors resulted in delayed diagnosis and high mortality (20 to 47%).


CONCLUSIONS
Only elimination of the identified inadequacies in management can significantly reduce the BM-related high mortality in developing countries.
Imananagha
K K
KK
Department of Medicine, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.
Peters
E J
EJ
Philip-Ephraim
E E
EE
Ekott
J U
JU
Imananagha
L N
LN
Ekure
E N
EN
Esin
R A
RA
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality*; D009549:Nigeria; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors