[Haemophilus influenzae disease in childhood. Comment about case reports of meningitis].

The authors describe a series of Haemophilus influenzae meningitis in childhood, obtained with a retrospective analysis of the cases of bacterial meningitis admitted to Isolamento Pediatrico department of "A. Gemelli" Polyclinic in Rome, from January 1, 1970 to December 31, 1994. Haemophilus influenzae resulted the second agent in frequency (first was Neisseria meningitidis). Main features were: no patient was older than 5 years, and most of them were less than 2 years old; clinical feature was aspecific in the first year of life, it was typical of bacterial meningitis in older children; blood culture and detection of bacterial antigens in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were useful for etiological diagnosis, supporting CSF culture; clinical course was characterized by many complications, but no case was lethal and incidence of sequelae at discharge was low; C reactive protein was effective as index of inflammation and as indicator of arising complications; chosen antibiotics were efficacious, but frequency of antibiotic resistance, especially to beta-lactams, was found to be increasing; results of dexamethasone therapy were not of univocal interpretation. The authors are in favour of spreading of vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae in Italy, too, in order to eradicate this disease, as experiences in other countries are successful, and of setting up of the combined vaccines, in order to increase parents' compliance to vaccinal practices.