[Outpatient management of children with viral meningitis].
OBJECTIVE
To describe our experience in the extrahospitalary management of children with suspected viral meningitis (YM).


METHODS
Between April and July 1997. 156 children were diagnosed of YM in our hospital and 150 managed as outpatients, after being a few hours in our emergency department. All of them were suspected to have VM attending usual clinical and laboratory findings and were discharged with cautious instructions to demand a new assessment. We contacted telephonically with them one month and six months later.


RESULTS
All the children with suspected viral meningitis and managed as outpatients had negative blood and CSF cultures and all of them did well. Telephonically, 104 children (69.3%) referred transient headache or back pain. and 20 of these (13.3% of all the 150) came again to our hospital, and 4 required rest for a few hours (4-12 hours) in our observation setting. Children with suspected VM didn't go to school during 5.9 x 6.1 days (1-30 days) and 71 (47.3%) were absent less than 3 days.


CONCLUSIONS
Outpatient management of most of the children with suspected VM is possible. When a patient is sent home, detailed instructions must be given to the family.
Mintegui Raso
S
S
Urgencias de Pediatría. Departamento de Pediatría, Hospital de Cruces, Barakaldo. Biskaia.
Sánches Echániz
J
J
Benito Fernández
J
J
Vázquez Ronco
M A
MA
Rubio Fernández
G
G
Capapé Zache
S
S
Goikoetxea Martín
I
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008587:Meningitis, Viral / Q000628:therapy*
Tratamiento extrahospitalario de los niños con meningitis viral.