title: Childhood meningitis at King Fahad Hospital, Hofuf, Saudi Arabia.
abstract: The medical records of 132 children with meningitis treated at King Fahad Hospital, Hofuf, Saudi Arabia, between June 1994 and May 1996, were reviewed with a view to defining the incidence, types of meningitis, their management and clinical outcome. Subjects were classified into three groups: bacterial, partially treated, and viral meningitis. There were 37 patients (28%) in period I (1994/95) and 95 (72%) in period II (1995/96). The higher incidence in period II was accounted for by a sharply increased incidence of viral meningitis in the latter half of the period. Of the 132 patients, 36 (27.3%) had bacterial meningitis, 45 (34.1%) had partially treated meningitis and 51 (38.6%) had viral meningitis. The most common CSF isolate was Haemophilus influenzae type B (HIB) from 24 (66.7%) of the 36 bacterial meningitis cases. About half of the cases of HIB meningitis occurred in infants under the age of 12 months.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, King Fahad Hospital, Hofuf, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Laditan
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Odame
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ogundipe