title: Brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) in childhood bacterial meningitis.
abstract: Brainstem auditory responses were recorded in 50 children of bacterial meningitis and age matched 50 normal children. Abnormal BAER was found in 32 (64%) patients of bacterial meningitis. These abnormalities included prolonged latency (56.2%); unilateral absent response (25%); bilateral absent response (25%) and prolonged interwave interval (25%). Follow-up could be done in 23 patients of 46 survivors. All the patients with prolonged latency either became normal or improved. In majority of the patients having absent response, the abnormality persisted. Abnormal BAER was significantly associated with age < 2 years (p < 0.02), Modified GCS Score < or = 8 (p < 0.001), Seizures (p < 0.02), raised Intracranial Pressure (ICP) (p < 0.02) and CSF sugar < 20 mg% (p < 0.05).
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, King George's Medical College, Lucknow.
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Kapoor
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Misra
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shukla
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dwivedee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution