title: [Pneumococcal meningitis in children].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Presented are the authors' own experiences with invasive pneumococcal diseases in a group of pediatric inpatients with pneumococcal meningitis treated in the Department of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital and Charles University Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové over the last 10 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  A group of patients aged 0-18 years and hospitalized in the above facility in 2002-2011 was retrospectively assessed. The patients' basic clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes are shown below.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over the study period, 27 children with pneumococcal meningitis were treated; of those, 15 were boys and 12 were girls. The patients' ages ranged from 2 days to 17 years; seventeen children (63 %) were younger than 2 years. On admission, 11 children (40 %) had the infection in the middle ear or paranasal sinuses; intracranial complications were noted in 10 cases. Cerebrospinal fluid culture was positive for Streptococcus pneumoniae in 21 cases. In 6 patients, pneumococcal DNA was determined in the cerebrospinal fluid by PCR. None of the studied patients died. Eight children (29 %) were left with permanent damage; of those, seven had hearing impairment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even today, pneumococcal meningitis in children remains a serious condition posing a risk of dangerous consequence or even death. To the maximum extent possible, prevention should include vaccination, especially in infants and children with the predisposing factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital, Hradec Králové Czech Republic, e-mail: sarka.rumlarova@fnhk.cz.
authors.forename: Š
authors.initials: Š
authors.lastname: Rumlarová
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kosina
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kračmarová
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Plíšek
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rejtar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018153:Czech Republic / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008586:Meningitis, Pneumococcal / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae; D016896:Treatment Outcome