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Pediatric bacterial meningitis in southern China: analysis of 838 cases

Lianfeng Chen1, Wen-Lin Wu1, Yuanyuan Gao1

  • 1Department of Neurology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.

Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
|February 20, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric bacterial meningitis (BM) in southern China predominantly affects infants under one year old. While most children recover well, some experience neurological sequelae, and risk factors for severe outcomes are identified.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Neurology

Background:

  • Bacterial meningitis (BM) is a serious infection in children.
  • Understanding its clinical features and risk factors is crucial for timely diagnosis and management.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the clinical characteristics and identify risk factors associated with bacterial meningitis in pediatric patients in southern China.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of clinical data from 838 pediatric BM patients (2012-2018).
  • Evaluation of symptoms, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, bacterial cultures, neuroimaging, and Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) scores.
  • Comparison of outcomes across different age groups.

Main Results:

  • The majority of patients (90.6%) were under one year old, with a male predominance.
  • Common pathogens included Streptococcus agalactiae, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus pneumoniae.
  • A 1.9% fatality rate and 10.7% rate of neurological sequelae were observed among survivors.
  • Risk factors for ICU admission, brain involvement, and hearing impairment were identified.

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric BM in southern China primarily impacts infants, with distinct age-related clinical features and outcomes.
  • Recurrent BM is uncommon but associated with CSF fistula or immunodeficiency.
  • Most patients achieve favorable outcomes, but neurological sequelae remain a concern.
  • Identification of clinical risk factors aids in predicting severe disease and guiding treatment.
Abstract

Keywords:
bacterial meningitischildrenclinical featuresprognosisrisk factors

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