TITLE:
Epidemiological, Clinical, Bacteriological and Evolutionary Profiles of Bacterial Meningitis in Children in Bangui (CAR)
AUTHORS:
Synthia Ningatoloum Nazita, Simplice Cyriaque Kango, Carine Judith Kiteze Nguinzanémou, Rostand Juste Koyangboi Kombaya, Iris Vanessa Gaspiet Sonny, Brice Olivier Bogning Mejiozem, Franck Houndjahoue, Jean Chrysostome Gody
KEYWORDS:
Bacterial Meningitis, Child, Bangui
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Pediatrics,
Vol.13 No.4,
July
26,
2023
ABSTRACT: Background: Bacterial meningitis is a major public health problem worldwide due to
its severity. It is a vaccine-preventable disease. Methodology: It was a retrospective descriptive study conducted at
the Pediatric Teaching Hospital of Bangui from June 2019 to May 2021.
Children aged 1 month to 15 years hospitalized for bacterial meningitis were
included in the study. Data were entered and analyzed using Stata/IC version
16.1. Results: Of 2490 patients
hospitalized during the study period, 122 (4.9%) had bacterial meningitis. The
patients were male in 54.92% of cases with a sex ratio of 1.21. The mean age
was 35.95 months ± 49.16. Most of the patients (84.42%) came directly from
home. The average consultation delay was 3.4 days ± 2.6. The vaccination coverage
was 56.55%. The CSF study isolated germs from 24 patients (19.67%), the main
ones being S. pneumoniae (75%) and H. influenzae (16.67%). Ceftriaxone was
prescribed alone or in combination in all cases as first-line treatment.
The average duration of antibiotic therapy was 8.95 days. The mortality rate
was 27.87% and 12.30 % of patients had sequelae. Conclusion: Bacterial meningitis is common in Bangui and still
poses a public health problem despite the introduction of new vaccines
in the EPI. Improving vaccination coverage and raising awareness for early
consultation could improve the situation.