[Bacterial meningitis. Clinical-epidemiological study. Review of 8 years (1988-1995)].

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to determine the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the bacterial meningitis assisted in the Hospital Materno-Infantil of Complejo Hospitalario Carlos Haya of Malaga.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

The epidemiological, clinical, biological and therapeutical aspects are analyzed between the period of January 1988 to December 1995.

RESULTS

The number of cases was 322, with the pathogen known in 240 (74.6%) and undetermined in 82 cases (24.6%). Meningococcal meningitis was the predominant cause with 162 cases (67.5%), followed by Haemophilus influenzae (40 cases, 16.7%) and pneumococcal meningitis (27 cases, 11.3%). Neisseria meningitidis type B was the most common serogroup, with an increasing number of type C from 1993.