Meningitis and septicaemia due to a multiply resistant strain of Haemophilus influenzae type b.

A case of meningitis and septicaemia caused by a multiply resistant strain of Haemophilus influenzae in a Saudi infant aged 7 months is reported. Haemophilus influenzae, resistant to ampicillin and chloramphenicol, was isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid, the blood and throat. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for ampicillin and chloramphenicol were 64 mg/l and 16 mg/l respectively. After failure of initial therapy with high doses of ampicillin and chloramphenicol, the child made a full and uneventful recovery when treated with cefotaxime. The implications of isolating such a strain on the policy for treating meningitis in our situation are discussed.