Prognostic factors predicting a fatal outcome in HIV-negative children with neurotuberculosis / Fatores prognósticos de letalidade da neurotuberculose em crianças HIV-negativas

OBJECTIVE: To identify prognostic factors predicting a fatal outcome in HIV-negative children with neurotuberculosis based on clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory findings. METHOD: The clinical records of all in-patients diagnosed with neurotuberculosis from 1982 to 2005 were evaluated retrospectively. The following prognostic parameters were examined: gender, age, close contact with a tuberculosis-infected individual, vaccination for bacillus Calmette-Guérin, purified protein derivative (PPD) of tuberculin results, concomitant miliary tuberculosis, seizures, CSF results, and hydrocephalus. RESULTS: One hundred forty-one patients diagnosed with neurotuberculosis were included. Seventeen percent of the cases resulted in death. The factors that were correlated with a negative outcome included lack of contact with a tuberculosis-infected individual, negative PPD reaction, coma, and longer hospitalisation time. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify which of these factors most often resulted in death. CONCLUSION: Coma at diagnosis, lack of tuberculosis contact, and a non-reactive PPD were the most important predictors of fatality in patients with neurotuberculosis.

OBJETIVO: Identificar elementos prognósticos para a letalidade da neurotuberculose na criança, a partir das manifestações clínicas, dados epidemiológicos e laboratoriais. MÉTODO: Registros de pacientes internados durante o período de 1982 a 2005 foram retrospectivamente avaliados. Os elementos prognósticos considerados foram: sexo, idade, história de contato íntimo com indivíduo com tuberculose, vacinação com o bacilo de Calmette-Guérin (BCG), teste tuberculínico (PPD), concomitância de tuberculose miliar, convulsões, resultados da análise do LCR e presença de hidrocefalia. RESULTADOS: 141 pacientes com diagnóstico de neurotuberculose foram incluídos. Dezessete por cento dos pacientes foram a óbito. Os fatores associados ao óbito foram história negativa de contágio, ausência de reatividade ao teste de PPD, coma e tempo de internação prolongado. Análise por regressão logística múltipla foi usada para investigar as relações entre os elementos prognósticos e o desfecho óbito. CONCLUSÃO: Os fatores prognósticos na previsão de óbito nos pacientes com neurotuberculose foram a presença de coma no momento do diagnóstico, a ausência de história de contágio e a ausência de reação ao PPD.

Staphylococcus aureus meningitis in children: a review of 30 community-acquired cases

In spite of the steady increase in the incidence of Staphylococcus aureus infections, it remains a relatively uncommon cause of meningitis. To our knowledge, no series of community-acquired S. aureus meningitis (CASAM) restricted to children has been published. So far in this retrospective study we report our experience with CASAM in children, hospitalized from 1983 to 1998 at Nossa Senhora da Glória Children's Hospital (HINSG). During the sixteen-year study period, 2,319 new cases of acute pyogenic meningitis were diagnosed at HINSG. Community-acquired S. aureus was identified as the causative agent in 30 patients (1.3 percent). The predominantly spinal localization of the agent is stressed. In contrast with publications which analyze adults, it has a better prognosis