Karim Eldin Mohamed Ali Salih, El Nageeb Suliman Saeed, Mubarak Saeed Karsani, Rehab El Ageb, Ali Abdin Salih, Salah Ahmed Ibrahim
Bacterial meningitis is still a common disease in Sudan. The disease has the potential to cause serious morbidity and mortality, especially within the paediatric age group. In this study, 58 children proven to have bacterial meningitis by PCR in Omdurman teaching hospital from 2004- 2005 were assessed, managed and followed up in an attempt to point out the characteristics associated with morbidity and mortality. It was observed that cases with mortality were mainly in the less than 1 year age group (33.3% of the cases), more than half of the cases (53.3%) received breastfeeding for less than 1 year, more than of half of the cases had at least a parent who is a smoker. Males formed more than 60% of the cases. It has been observed that most cases with morbidity and mortality were associated with late presentation, presentation with coma, onset of convulsions, hypotension and petechial rash. Most of the survivors received 3rd generation cephalosporins, 64% of the cases were sensitive to long acting benzyl penicillin, 58% were sensitive to chloramphenicol. Bacterial meningitis incidence and occurrence needs to be reduced in Sudan. Appropriate vaccination and prophylaxis methods exist and could yield excellent results in the future if implemented correctly. The use of third generation cephalosporin as empiric treatment whenever lumbar puncture is not possible is the advised management.
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