[Meningococcal disease in the province of Córdoba (1983-1987]

This study reports the clinico-biologic characteristics, complications and the final events in 224 cases of meningococcal disease observed during a period of five years in the province of Cordoba. The prognostic factors of the disease were also evaluated. Patients were divided into three groups according to the diagnosis: meningitis, meningococcemia, and meningitis with meningococcemia. The incidence of each group was 18%, 22% and 60%, respectively. The 81.7% of the patients were below the age of 14 years. The most frequent symptoms were the fever (97.8%), vomitus (75%) and headache (52.2%) The more common exploratory findings were petechiae (76.8%) and nuchal rigidity (53.6%). Complications related to the illness were present in 27.3% of the cases. The clinical course showed a mortality rate of 6.3% with a complete recovery in 91% of patients. Sequelae was present in 2.7% of the cases. The absence of previous antibiotic therapy (p < 0.05), the presence of nuchal rigidity (p < 0.05), shock (p < 0.01), coma (p < 0.05), leukocytopenia (p < 0.001), and a prothrombin activity lower than 70% (p < 0.05) were associated with a bad prognosis.