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Description

Olson et al reported findings associated with a poor outcome following acute bacterial meningitis in a child from a developing country. The authors are from the University of Colorado, the Johns Hopkins University and the Colorado School of Public Health.


Patient selection: child with acute bacterial meningitis in Guatemala

 

Outcome: death or major morbidity (hydrocephaly, convulsions, stroke/infarct/thrombosis, cranial nerve paralysis)

 

Predictors of a poor outcome:

(1) seizures (odds ratio 101.5)

(2) CSF glucose < 20 mg/dL (odds ratio 5.3)

(3) symptom duration > 3 days (odds ratio 3.7)

(4) coma (odds ratio 6.3)

(6) Herson-Todd score > 5 (odds ratio 10.3, range from 0 to 12)

 

In addition, the children were not vaccinated. Childhood vaccinations are associated with reduced risk to bacterial meningitis in children.


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