Diagnosis Of Meningitis In Infants Research Articles

Meta-analysis of Cerebrospinal Fluid Cell Count and Biochemistry to Diagnose Meningitis in Infants Aged < 90 Days.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) white blood cell (WBC) count, protein, and glucose (cytochemistry) are performed to aid in the diagnosis of meningitis in young infants. However, studies have reported varying diagnostic accuracies. We assessed the diagnostic accuracy of CSF cytochemistry in infants below 90 days and determined the certainty of evidence. We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Ovid, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Scopus databases in August 2021. We included studies that evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of CSF cytochemistry compared with CSF culture, Gram stain, or polymerase chain reaction in neonates and young infants <90 days with suspected meningitis. We pooled data using the hierarchical summary receiver operator characteristic (ROC) model. Of the 10,720 unique records, 16 studies were eligible for meta-analysis, with a cumulative sample size of 31,695 (15 studies) for WBC, 12,936 (11 studies) for protein, and 1,120 (4 studies) for glucose. The median (Q1, Q3) specificities of WBC, protein, and glucose were 87 (82, 91), 89 (81, 94), and 91% (76, 99), respectively. The pooled sensitivities (95% confidence interval [CI]) at median specificity of WBC count, protein, and glucose were 90 (88, 92), 92 (89, 94), and 71% (54, 85), respectively. The area (95% CI) under ROC curves were 0.89 (0.87, 0.90), 0.87 (0.85, 0.88), and 0.81 (0.74, 0.88) for WBC, protein, and glucose, respectively. There was an unclear/high risk of bias and applicability concern in most studies. Overall certainty of the evidence was moderate. A bivariate model-based analysis to estimate the diagnostic accuracy at specific thresholds could not be conducted due to a paucity of data. CSF WBC and protein have good diagnostic accuracy for the diagnosis of meningitis in infants below 90 days of age. CSF glucose has good specificity but poor sensitivity. However, we could not identify enough studies to define an optimal threshold for the positivity of these tests. · Median specificity of CSF leucocyte count, protein and glucose are similar in young infants.. · At median specificity, CSF leukocyte count and protein are more sensitive than glucose.. · Owing to inadequate data, bivariate modelling to suggest optimal diagnostic thresholds is not possible..

Diagnostic Accuracy of MRI for Detection of Meningitis in Infants.

To determine the accuracy of MR imaging for diagnosis of meningitis in infants. Retrospective review of infants less than 1 year of age who underwent a brain MR imaging for meningitis from 2010-2018. Gold standard for diagnosis of bacterial meningitis was a positive bacterial CSF culture or a positive blood culture with an elevated CSF WBC count, and diagnosis of viral meningitis was a positive CSF PCR result and elevated CSF WBC count. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy for MR imaging diagnosis of meningitis were calculated. Two hundred nine infants with mean age 80 days (range 0-347 days) were included. There were 178 true positives with the most common pathogens being: Group B Streptococcus (58), E. coli (50), Streptococcus pneumoniae (21), H. influenzae (4); Herpes simplex virus 1 or 2 (18); Enterovirus (4); and other (23). There were 31 true negatives. Range of sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy of MR imaging for detection of meningitis was 67.4-83.5%, 92.3-95.7%, 95.0-98.6%, 33.3-76.5%, and 71.3-86.5% respectively. MR imaging sensitivity decreased after 10 days from time of presentation while specificity remained stable. Among individual MR imaging findings, leptomeningeal enhancement was the most sensitive finding, while cerebritis, infarction, ventriculitis, abscess, and intraventricular purulent material were the most specific findings. MR imaging of the brain demonstrates high specificity and moderate sensitivity for diagnosis among infants presenting with signs and symptoms of meningitis. The results reflect current standard of care for imaging of infants with meningitis however a selection bias for imaging of more severe meningitis may affect these results.

Neonatal Meningitis: Overcoming Challenges in Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Treatment with Omics.

Neonatal meningitis is a devastating condition. Prognosis has not improved in decades, despite the advent of improved antimicrobial therapy and heightened index of suspicion among clinicians caring for affected infants. One in ten infants die from meningitis, and up to half of survivors develop significant lifelong complications, including seizures, impaired hearing and vision, and delayed or arrested development of such basic skills as talking and walking. At present, it is not possible to predict which infants will suffer poor outcomes. Early treatment is critical to promote more favorable outcomes, though diagnosis of meningitis in infants is technically challenging, time-intensive, and invasive. Profound neuronal injury has long been described in the setting of neonatal meningitis, as has elevated levels of many pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Mechanisms of the host immune response that drive clearance of the offending organism and underlie brain injury due to meningitis are not well understood, however. In this review, we will discuss challenges in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of neonatal meningitis. We will highlight transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic data that contribute to suggested mechanisms of inflammation and brain injury in this setting with a view toward fruitful areas for future investigation.

The Diagnosis of Epidemic Meningitis in Infants

The Diagnosis of Epidemic Meningitis in Infants