Community acquired acute bacterial meningitis in children and adults: An 11-year survey in a community hospital in Israel

ObjectivesWe aimed to investigate the association between the presenting clinical manifestations of bacterial meningitis and the duration of time elapsed before lumbar puncture and start of antibiotic treatment.DesignRetrospective epidemiologic study using the clinical records in Barzilai Medical Center Emergency Department between 1988 and 1999.Results97 patients, 72 children and 25 adults with ABM were identified. 30 of 97 (31%) were diagnosed by the primary physicians at primary care units. Acute meningitis was suspected by emergency department (ED) physicians in 51% of the referred patients. Patients with a scarce clinical picture at hospital arrival (those without fever, headache or nuchal rigidity) showed a trend toward a longer median delay until a diagnostic lumbar puncture was performed and antibiotic therapy was started (median of 14.7 h compared with 2.1 h for those with severe clinical picture) (p < 0.02). Nevertheless, the clinical outcome for the total cohort did not yield a significant difference when analyzed regarding the duration of time between arrival to emergency department and antibiotic treatment initiation (p > 0.3).ConclusionsThe interval before diagnosis of community acquired ABM in both children and adults is longer for those patients who present to the emergency department with an atypical clinical picture, mostly, without fever and without nuchal rigidity. Until bacterial meningitis can be effectively prevented, we can expect this life-threatening infection to continue to cause diagnostic and medical difficulties.