Yonsei Med J.  1983 Jun;24(1):87-101. 10.3349/ymj.1983.24.1.87.

Clinical Study on NeonataI Meningitis

• Lee SS
• Chang YY
• Kim KS
• Yun DJ

• KMID: 1758492
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.1983.24.1.87

Abstract

A clinical study was made on 68 cases of neonatal meningitis occuring under the age of 1 month at the department of Pediatrics at Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine from 1st Jan. 1965 to 31th Dec. 1981. The sex ratio of male to female was 1.8:1 approximately. Neonatal predisposing factors significantly associated with neonatal meningitis were omphalitis(14 cases), skin infection (13 cases), birth injury (9 cases) and pneumonia (8 cases) etc. The most common maternal predisposing factor was difficult labor (13 cases). In 27 out of the 68 cultured CSF, the most common organisms were E. coli (29.6%), Staphylococcus coagulase(+) (22.2%) and Beta meholytic streptococcus (22.2%). Gram negative organisms were found in 12 cases (44.4%). The most common presenting symptoms were non-specific in nature -an elevated or subnormal body temperature, convulsion, poor feeding, irritability, jaundice and vomiting in that order of frequency. The presence of a poor Moro reflex, neck stiffness, unconsciousness or convulsion correlated with the high mortality rate significantly. Complications and sequelae included convulsion(11 cases), subdural effusion (8 cases), candida infection (8 cases), hydrocephalus (2 cases) and cerebral hemorrhage (2 cases) in that order of frequency. In the 68 cases, there were 29 mortalities or 42.6%.

Keyword

Neonatal Meningitis

MeSH Terms

Age Factors
Female
Human
Infant, Newborn
Male
Meningitis/diagnosis
Meningitis/epidemiology*
Prognosis