title: Bacterial isolates from cerebrospinal fluid of children with suspected acute meningitis in a Nigerian tertiary hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the common aetiolog of acute bacterial meningitis in children and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study with a review of cerebrospinal fluid culture reports of paediatric patients aged 0-15 years, suspected of acute meningitis in the Medical Microbiology Department of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria from October 2006 to October 2009 from October 2006 to October 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A positive culture bacterial isolation rate of 3.3% (n=50/1500) with prevalence of Streptococcus pneumoniae (24%), Neisseria meningitidis (22%), Escherichia coli (16%), Haemophilus influenzae (14%), Group B streptococci (8%) and Enterococci (8%) which were susceptible to ceftriaxone (96%), cefotaxime (95%) and ciprofloxacin (93%) across the bacterial isolates. Neonates were 55% (n=6.8/12.4) most at risk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neonates are the most at risk of acute bacterial meningitis. In the absence of antibiotic susceptibility report, ceftriaxone should be considered as a first choice reliable antibiotic for empirical treatment of meningitis in children, in this environment.
authors: Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Health Sciences Benue State University, Makurdi.Nigeria.
authors: S I
authors: SI
authors: Nwadioha
authors: E O P
authors: EO
authors: Nwokedi
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Onwuezube
authors: J O
authors: JO
authors: Egesie
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Kashibu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002439:Cefotaxime / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002443:Ceftriaxone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D020814:Meningitis, Escherichia coli / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008583:Meningitis, Haemophilus / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008586:Meningitis, Pneumococcal / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009549:Nigeria; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013292:Streptococcus agalactiae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002939:Ciprofloxacin; D002443:Ceftriaxone; D002439:Cefotaxime