[Risk factors for poor prognosis of neonatal bacterial meningitis]

To investigate the risk factors for poor prognosis of neonatal bacterial meningitis.

A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 152 children with neonatal bacterial meningitis. According to their prognosis, they were divided into a good prognosis group with 122 children and a poor prognosis group with 30 children. The two groups were compared in terms of general status, initial symptoms, and laboratory findings, and the risk factors for poor prognosis were analyzed.

Compared with the good prognosis group, the poor prognosis group had a significantly higher proportion of children with a very low birth weight, a peripheral blood white blood cell count (WBC) of <5×10⁹/L or >20×10⁹/L, a C-reactive protein level of >50 mg/L, a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) WBC of >500×10⁶/L, a CSF glucose level of <1 mmol/L, or a CSF protein level of >2 g/L, as well as significantly higher positive rates of blood culture and/or CSF culture, Gram-positive bacteria, and Streptococcus agalactiae (P<0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a CSF glucose level of <1 mmol/L and a CSF protein level of >2 g/L were independent risk factors for poor prognosis of neonatal bacterial meningitis.

A CSF glucose level of <1 mmol/L and a CSF protein level of >2 g/L are risk factors for poor prognosis of neonatal bacterial meningitis.