Study of Bacterial Meningitis in Children in Turkey
Author Information
Author(s): Ceyhan Mehmet, Yildirim Inci, Balmer Paul, Borrow Ray, Dikici Bunyamin, Turgut Mehmet, Kurt Nese, Aydogan Aysel, Ecevit Cigdem, Anlar Yasar, Gulumser Ozlem, Tanir Gonul, Salman Nuran, Gurler Nezahat, Hatipoglu Nevin, Hacimustafaoglu Mustafa, Celebi Solmaz, Coskun Yavuz, Alhan Emre, Celik Umit, Camcioglu Yildiz, Secmeer Gulten, Gur Deniz, Gray Steve
Primary Institution: Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
Hypothesis
What is the incidence and etiology of bacterial meningitis in children in Turkey?
Conclusion
The study found that Neisseria meningitidis, particularly serogroup W-135, is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in children in Turkey.
Supporting Evidence
- N. meningitidis was detected in 56.5% of PCR-positive samples.
- S. pneumoniae was found in 22.5% of cases.
- Hib was identified in 20.5% of the samples.
- Serogroup W-135 was responsible for 42.7% of N. meningitidis cases.
- The study included 12 hospitals across 7 geographic regions of Turkey.
- 408 children were diagnosed with suspected acute bacterial meningitis.
- 243 cases were confirmed as bacterial meningitis.
- 4.9% of the patients diagnosed with acute bacterial meningitis died.
Takeaway
This study looked at sick kids in Turkey to find out what germs make them sick with meningitis, and it found that one germ, called W-135, is really common.
Methodology
Cerebrospinal fluid samples were collected from children with suspected meningitis and analyzed using multiplex PCR to identify bacterial DNA.
Potential Biases
Prior antimicrobial treatment may have affected the accuracy of bacterial culture results.
Limitations
The study relied on hospital-based surveillance, which may underestimate the true incidence of meningitis.
Participant Demographics
Children aged 1 month to 17 years, with a mean age of 4.8 years and a boy-to-girl ratio of 1.5:1.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.003
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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