Forensic diagnosis of sudden death due to pyogenic meningitis.

ABSTRACT

Acute bacterial meningitis remains a major cause of mortality and long term neurological sequelae worldwide. Despite of availability of potent antibiotic the mortality rate due to acute bacterial meningitis remains significantly high in India and other developing countries. There is a need for periodic review of bacterial meningitis worldwide, since the pathogens responsible for infection vary with time, geography and patient‘s age. We are reporting a case of 40 years old married male who became unconscious suddenly with history of fever since last one day. There was no history of any major illness. He was died in hospital under suspicious condition within 12 hours of hospitalization. Forensic experts finally gave the opinion that the death was natural and it was due to pyogenic meningitis after considering autopsy findings, histo-pathological findings and microbiological and biochemistry reports. Klebsiella pneumoniae was responsible for acute pyogenic meningitis.