ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The present study was undertaken to assess whether the results of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture are related to prognosis. METHODS: Subjected to this study were 51 cases admitted to our department who had been diagnosed as bacterial meningitis. They were divided into two groups, Group l (20) with positive CSF culture and Group ll (31) with negative outcome, then both groups were compared. RESULTS: Group l cases tended to be younger than Group ll cases. The male/female ratio was 1.2 in Group l and 1.6 in Group ll. Laboratory findings of CFS were not significantly different in either groups, except for the glucose level, which was markedly lower in Group l than in Group ll. The causative organisms identified from CSF culture were E. coli (5), group B Streptococcus (4) and S. aureus (1) among the 10 cases aged under 2 months. On the other hand, S. pneumoniae were isolated in 7 and H. influenzae in 3 among the 10 older cases. Mortality rate and the incidence of complications were higher in Group l than in Group ll. Mortality rate as related to the causative organism was highest with E. coli, followed by group B Streptococcus, H. influenzae. CONCLUSION: Bacterial meningitis cases with positive CSF culture have significantly lower glucose concentration in the CSF, and also higher rates of mortality and incidence of serious complications than those with negative culture.