Gorse G J, Thrupp L D, Nudleman K L, Wyle F A, Hawkins B, Cesario T C
Arch Intern Med. 1984 Aug;144(8):1603-7.
To assess the implications of meningitis in a more mature population, we reviewed the records of patients with meningitis: 71 aged 50 years and older and 138 patients aged 15 to 49 years. Among the older population, 54 (76%) had bacterial, nine (13%) had granulomatous, and eight (11%) had aseptic meningitis. Among the cases of bacterial meningitis in the older age group, Streptococcus pneumoniae accounted for 24% (13/54) and enteric bacilli accounted for 17% (9/54). Serious complications occurred in 38 elderly patients (70%) with bacterial meningitis, and mortality occurred in 24 (44%). In the younger age group with bacterial meningitis, the complication rate and mortality were 41% (13/32) and 13% (4/32), respectively. Meningitis in the elderly is likely to be bacterial and to cause greater morbidity and mortality.
为评估脑膜炎在更成熟人群中的影响，我们回顾了脑膜炎患者的记录：71例年龄在50岁及以上，138例年龄在15至49岁。在老年人群中，54例（76%）为细菌性脑膜炎，9例（13%）为肉芽肿性脑膜炎，8例（11%）为无菌性脑膜炎。在老年组细菌性脑膜炎病例中，肺炎链球菌占24%（13/54），肠道杆菌占17%（9/54）。38例老年细菌性脑膜炎患者（70%）发生严重并发症，24例（44%）死亡。在年轻细菌性脑膜炎组中，并发症发生率和死亡率分别为41%（13/32）和13%（4/32）。老年人的脑膜炎很可能是细菌性的，且会导致更高的发病率和死亡率。
