National Observatory of Bacterial Meningitis in Children and Newborns
Bacterial meningitis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in childhood. Antibiotic treatment recommendations are based on epidemiological and susceptibility data. The epidemiology of bacterialméningitis has changed in recent years, mainly owing to widespread use of different conjugate vaccines. The aim of this prospective national survey is to describe epidemiology of bacteria implicated in bacterial meningitis in children.
• clinical signs of meningitis, associated with positive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture and/or positive CSF antigen testing (Escherichia coli K1, N. meningitidis serogroups B, A, C, Y and W-135, group B streptococci, Hib, or S. pneumoniae), and/or positive CSF polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and/or positive blood culture with CSF pleocytosis (\> 10 cells/µL).
• purpura fulminans