OBJECTIVE To validate procalcitonin (PCT) level as the best biological marker to distinguish between bacterial and aseptic meningitis in children in the emergency department. DESIGN Secondary analysis of retrospective multicenter hospital-based cohort studies. SETTING Six pediatric emergency or intensive care units of tertiary care centers in 5 European countries. PARTICIPANTS Consecutive...

OBJECTIVE When managing patients with acute meningitis in an emergency department (ED), early diagnosis of the type of infection (bacterial or viral) considerably affects the clinical course and treatment because of the high mortality and morbidity associated with bacterial meningitis (BM). The serum delta neutrophil index (DNI), a new inflammatory marker, reflects the fraction of circulating i...

Neisseria meningitidis is a leading cause of pyogenic meningitis worldwide, as well as causing large epidemics in parts of Africa. With the dramatic decline in cases of Haemophilus in uenzae B, N. meningitidis has emerged as one of the most common causes of acute bacterial meningitis in children and adults in South Africa. However, it remains an uncommon cause of meningitis in the neonatal peri...

background and objective: bacterial meningitis is an important cause of mortality and long-term neural morbidity. immediate diagnosis and treatment are necessary in appropriate time. this study was designed in afzalipour hospital in kerman to evaluate meningitis causes, frequency and csf laboratory changes. patients and methods: in this retrograde descriptive study from september 2003 to septem...

Common forms of bacterial meningitis Acute bacterial meningitis results from invasion and subsequent inflammation of the meninges by bacteria. Early diagnosis, followed by appropriate antibacterial treatment, should result in cure-while late or inappropriate treatment ends in death or disablement. In spite of the ready availability of effective anti-bacterial agents the mortality and morbidity ...