Main Clinical and Laboratory Features of Children with Bacterial Meningitis: Experience from a Tertiary Paediatric Centre in Central Vietnam

Chau Duc Nguyen-Huu,1 Son Bui-Binh-Bao,1 Kiem Hao Tran,2 Van Tuan Mai,3 Diem Chi Nguyen-Thi,2 Hanh Chan Tran-Thi,2 Anh Nguyen-Duy-Nam,1 Phuc To,1 Van Anh Ton-Nu1 1Department of Pediatrics, Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University, Hue City, Vietnam; 2Pediatric Center, Hue Central Hospital, Hue City, Vietnam; 3Microbiology Department, Hue Central Hospital, Hue City, VietnamCorrespondence: Van Anh Ton-Nu, Department of Pediatrics, Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University, 06 Ngo Quyen St, Hue City, 49000, Vietnam, Tel +84 234 3822173, Fax +84 234 3826269, Email tnvananh@hueuni.edu.vnObjective: Our study aimed to summarize symptoms and laboratory findings of bacterial meningitis at a Vietnam tertiary care hospital.Methods: We performed a retrospective study and enrolled 33 children diagnosed with bacterial meningitis admitted at the Pediatric Center, Hue Central Hospital, between January 2019 and July 2021.Results: Only 24.2% (8 out of 33) cases can determine etiology of bacterial meningitis. Streptococcus pneumonia was the most common pathogen. The mortality in this study was 12.1%. The most commn symptoms were fever (93.9%) and vomiting (60.6%). Loss of consciousness and poor appetite were predominant among patients who died (75%); seizures and local paralysis accounted for a half. For cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the cloudy or turbid color was the most common in bacterial meningitis (54.5%), CSF leucocytes in a half of patients were greater than 500 cells/mm3 (48.5%). CSF white blood cells count was higher among children who died.Conclusion: Streptococcus pneumonia was the most common pathogen. Fever, vomiting, loss of consciousness, local paralysis, and increased leucocytes, neutrophils of CSF were more common in severe cases.Keywords: bacterial meningitis, S. pneumonia, Vietnam, cerebrospinal fluid