Late-onset meningitis in sick, very-low-birth-weight infants: clinical and sonographic observations

* Objectives.--To determine the clinical and sonographic features of late-onset meningitis (after 7 days of life) in sick, very-low-birth-weight infants. Design.--Retrospective study of a patient series. Setting.--Neonatal intensive care nursery at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Tex. Participants.--Ten preterm infants with birth weights of more than 1750 g who developed late-onset meningitis during a 42-month study period. Interventions.--None. Results.--Ten preterm infants developed meningitis at a mean ([+ or -] LSD) postnatal age of 20 [+ or -] 14 days. Eight of the infants survived. Initial clinical signs were nonspecific, eg, apnea and bradycardia (eight infants), abdominal distention (five infants), hyponatremia (serum sodium level,