title: Neonatal bacterial meningitis in Turkey: epidemiology, risk factors, and prognosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We aimed to determine the incidence, etiology, risk factors and outcome of bacterial meningitis in neonates.
  
  
  METHODS
  Neonates who developed bacterial meningitis between 2003 and 2010 in a tertiary hospital in Turkey were included in the study. Patients born in our hospital were defined as Group 1 and patients referred from other centres were defined as Group 2. Patients with evidence of congenital infections or central nervous system malformations were excluded. Demographic features, delivery type, time of onset of meningitis, co-morbidities, clinical features, blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, cranial sonographic findings, and outcome of patients were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study comprised 325 meningitis cases identified from 38,023 hospitalised patients in the neonatology unit among 11,8091 live births. Mean gestational age, birth weight, and hospital stay were 36.8 ± 3.7 weeks, 2.480 ± 924 g, and 26 ± 12.4 days, respectively. Almost half (48%) of the patients were diagnosed in the first seven postnatal days and 52% at 8-30 days after birth. CSF culture findings were positive in 59 (18%) patients (28 in Group 1 and 31 in Group 2). Gram-positive bacteria were the responsible agents in 30 (51%) patients, whereas 26 (44%) patients had Gram-negative bacterial meningitis and 3 (5%) had Candida meningitis. Gram-negative bacteria were predominant in Group 1 whereas Gram positive bacteria were predominant in Group 2. Transfontanel ultrasonography revealed pathologic findings in 17.5% of patients. The total mortality rate was 2.5%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This large-scale study provides essential information about the etiology, characteristics, and outcome of neonatal bacterial meningitis in Turkey.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors: Sultan
authors: S
authors: Kavuncuoğlu
authors: Semra
authors: S
authors: Gürsoy
authors: Özden
authors: Ö
authors: Türel
authors: Esin Yildiz
authors: EY
authors: Aldemir
authors: Emine
authors: E
authors: Hoşaf
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology