title: Mortality from bacterial meningitis in children in Kosovo.
abstract: Bacterial meningitis is a severe infection responsible for high mortality. This prospective study of 277 pediatric bacterial meningitis cases was done to identify factors predicting death in children <16 years of age living and treated in a limited-resources country (Kosovo). Of the 277 children enrolled, 60 patients (22%) developed neurologic complications, and 15 children died (5%). The following variables were strongly correlated with mortality: altered mental status on admission (relative risk [RR] = 29.9), presentation of the initial cerebrospinal fluid as thick pus (RR = 29.9), prehospital seizures (RR = 23.5) and their recurrence >24 hours after admission (RR = 11.5), age <1 month (RR = 19.3), the use of inotropic agents (RR = 11.5), and admission after 5 days' duration of illness (P < .001). The mortality rate in children in Kosovo is similar to those reported from developing countries, and this is most likely due to the unfavorable living conditions.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Infectious Diseases, University Clinical Center of Kosovo, Prishtinë, Kosovo. sadie_namani@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Sadie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Namani
authors.forename: Zvonko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Milenkovic
authors.forename: Ernest
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kuchar
authors.forename: Remzie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Koci
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mehmeti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015022:Yugoslavia / Q000453:epidemiology