[Incidence and characteristics of childhood suppurative meningitis in Hungary in 1983-87].

Data of 1208 infants and children hospitalized for purulent meningitis were analysed. The incidence of the disease was closely age related: morbidity calculated for 100,000 children was found 97.5 under one year of age; 15.6 in 1 to 5 and 2.2 in 6 to 14 years of age. Incidence of newborn meningitis cases was 3.7 per 10,000 live-borns. The disease was caused by N. meningitidis in 278 (23%), H. influenzae in 171 (14%), S. pneumoniae in 157 (13%), E. coli in 74 (6%), B-group streptococcus in 61 (5%), other bacteria (altogether 17 species) in 107 (9%) cases, while in 360 cases (30%) the etiology remained unknown. Overall case fatality was 19.6 per cent. When compared to international data mortality was especially high among the newborns (53%) and in meningitis cases due to S. pneumoniae (29%), E. coli (48%), B-group streptococcus (37%) and "other bacteria" (41%). Neurologic sequelae were found in 17 per cent of the patients at discharge however, in newborns it was 54 per cent. Since the antibacterial therapy was appropriate in all cases, authors try to reveal the possible causes of the relatively high mortality and make recommendations for reducing it.