Bacteriological aspects of purulent meningitis in the Yopougon university hospital, 1995-1998

Objective - To determine the frequency and the distribution of germs responsible of purulent meningitis in the university hospital of Yopougon (Abidjan). Material and methods - Three hundred and sixty two cloudy or dodgy CSF recorded out of four years, have been analysed by classic bacteriological methods advocate for meningitis. The CSF came, in 85,4% of the cases, from children between 0 to 15 years among which we noted 40% of subjects from one month to two years. 28,2% of the CSF were lymphocytic and 71,8% of the CSF revealed thereselves to be compatible with a purulent meningitis. Results - Two hundred and eighteen strains have been isolated; the identified bacteria were S. pneumoniae (46%), H. influenzae b (29,2%), N. meningitidis (14,1%) and Streptococcus group B (6,8%), a low percentage of enterobacteria (3,2%). Their distribution with regard to the age slices was in accordance with the litterature data, S. pneumoniae being found in all the age slices though it was more frequently found between one month and five years, the monthly distribution has not shown particular propensity except for H. influenzae b. Opposite the usual antibiotic such as penicillin, ampicillin, amoxicillin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, tetracyclin, strains presented variable sensitivity levels. Conclusion - The surveillance of the principal bacteria of communal meningitis especially S. pneumoniae is imperative to identify the different serotypes circulating and follow up their sensitivity to effective and accessible antibiotics. © 2001 Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS.