Antimicrobial prophylaxis for fractured base of skull in children.

The details are reviewed of 50 children who were treated over a 10-year period with clinical signs of fractured base of skull. Two patients died early without signs of sepsis--due to the severity of their head injuries. Of the remainder, 23 received antibiotic prophylaxis and 25 did not. One patient from each of these groups developed pneumococcal meningitis, and they were successfully treated. Our results correlate well with those previously published, confirming the low incidence of infective complications with or without prophylaxis. The need to assemble a large enough series to make statistically significant conclusions regarding this infrequent condition is highlighted throughout the literature, which is reviewed here.