Bacterial isolates from cerebrospinal fluid of children with suspected acute meningitis in a Nigerian tertiary hospital.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To determine the common aetiolog of acute bacterial meningitis in children and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study with a review of cerebrospinal fluid culture reports of paediatric patients aged 0-15 years, suspected of acute meningitis in the Medical Microbiology Department of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria from October 2006 to October 2009 from October 2006 to October 2009. RESULTS: A positive culture bacterial isolation rate of 3.3% (n=50/1500) with prevalence of Streptococcus pneumoniae (24%), Neisseria meningitidis (22%), Escherichia coli (16%), Haemophilus influenzae (14%), Group B streptococci (8%) and Enterococci (8%) which were susceptible to ceftriaxone (96%), cefotaxime (95%) and ciprofloxacin (93%) across the bacterial isolates. Neonates were 55% (n=6.8/12.4) most at risk. CONCLUSION: Neonates are the most at risk of acute bacterial meningitis. In the absence of antibiotic susceptibility report, ceftriaxone should be considered as a first choice reliable antibiotic for empirical treatment of meningitis in children, in this environment.

Bacterial isolates in blood cultures of children with suspected septicaemia in Kano: a two-year study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: Septicaemia is a common condition in children with a resultant high morbidity and mortality. The gold standard for diagnosis of septicaemia is the isolation of bacterial agents from blood cultures. The study was done to determine the common aetiology of septicaemia in children and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern in Kano, Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study with a review of blood culture reports of paediatric patients aged 0-15 years, suspected of septicaemia, from October 2006 to October 2008 in the Medical Microbiology department of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Kano. Kano. Nigeria was carried out. RESULTS: Out of a total of 3840 blood culture samples, only 18.2% (n=700) was culture positive. Gram-negative and gram - positive bacteria constituted 69.3% (n=2661) and 30.7% (n=1179) respectively. The most prevalent bacterial isolates were Escherichia coli with 44.3% (n=310/700) and Staphylococcus aureus 30.7% (n=215/700). Escherichia coli were sensitive to ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin and clavulinate - amoxyl. CONCLUSION: The commonest bacterial isolate from blood culture of children with suspected septicaemia in Kano is Escherichia coli. The most sensitive and preferable among the tested antibiotics is ceftriaxone. Rational use of antibiotics with regular antibiotic susceptibility surveillance studies is recommended to maintain high antibiotic therapeutic profile.