[Clinico-epidemiologic study of bacterial meningitis in Aragon]

The aim of the present study was to know the incidence, etiology, prognostic factors and rate of mortality of bacterial meningitis in Aragón (Spain).

The clinical records of all the patients with bacterial meningitis seen in the hospitals in Aragón (Spain), from 1985 to 1988 inclusive were reviewed.

The mean of the annual rates of incidence for Aragón (Spain) was 7.52/100,000 inhabitants. In patients under the age of 15 years the most frequent etiologies were Neisseria meningitidis (59.0%), Haemophilus influenzae (13.7%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (9.4%); the global rate of mortality was 3.5% similar to that of sequelae. In those over the age of 14 years, the most frequent etiologies were N. meningitidis (33%), S. pneumoniae (18.4%) and Staphylococcus spp. (13.6%); the rate of global mortality was 19.5% and that of sequelae 10.8% with resistance of S. pneumoniae to penicillin and/or ampicillin in 45.5% of the cases in children and in 26.3% in adults. No significant evolutive differences related with the existence of resistances or the administration of antibiotics prior to lumbar punction were observed in any of the age groups.

N. meningitidis is the main etiologic agent in Aragón in both children and adults. The greatest rates of mortality and sequelae were observed in the youngest and oldest age groups with a similar relation being seen in infection by gramnegative bacilli and S. pneumoniae, thus making these patients to be considered as being at high risk.